In the Last Week, Almost Every Day Saw Fires; People Are the Culprits, Says Head of Shirak Emergency Management

On August 29, at 11:23 AM, a burned grassland in the village of Azatamut, Shirak Province, marked yet another instance of ongoing fires. Over the past week, there has scarcely been a day without similar occurrences. The primary culprit is people, says Martin Mkoyan, the head of the Shirak Emergency Management Department.

According to armtimes.com, from June to August, there have been 182 recorded fire incidents, compared to 88 during the same period last year. In August 2018, there were 35 fire incidents; this year, with August still not over, the number of recorded fires has surpassed 116.

"There are days when we see 15 to 18 incidents. Largely, grasslands are burning. The wheat has already been harvested, and now the barley is being gathered. After that, they start burning the stubble to create fertilizer. But fires should not be left uncontrolled; measures need to be taken to prevent their spread. They burn the fields, and from there, uncontrolled flames spread to unharvested crops, houses, and power poles. The same goes for the city as well," notes Martin Mkoyan.

This year, a significant amount of fodder has also been burned. Haystacks are constantly igniting. However, according to the responsible officials, nature is not to blame. People store fodder in barn roofs and similar places, and there are numerous instances where haystacks are placed along travel routes. Sometimes, a poorly extinguished cigarette or a match can destroy the entire winter stock.

There is also a considerable number of fires in residential buildings, primarily caused by electrical wire malfunctions. Old wires are prone to short circuits and catch fire.

In previous years, the cause of fires in Gyumri was often due to the open burning of municipal waste. There have been no such incidents recorded this year. "There was a time when there was a constant fire at the municipal dump that would spread all the way to power poles and reach the road. Trash was burned to clear space. Now, it is much better; they hardly burn anything anymore."

This year, all fire-related damages have been solely material, and there have been no casualties reported in Shirak Province. No forest fires have been recorded either.