VIDEO: Efforts to Extinguish the Fire that Erupted 7 Days Ago on the Armenian-Georgian Border Continue
On December 30, at 09:05, five rescue workers were dispatched to resume firefighting efforts. It is worth noting that on December 23, at 16:27, the "911" emergency service was informed about a fire raging in a forested area near the state border with the Republic of Georgia, from the village of Privolnoye.
A fire and rescue team from the regional rescue department along with an operational group, a special operations rescue team comprised of 28 rescuers, and 139 firefighters from various rescue detachments arrived at the fire scene.
It was determined that the northern area stretching approximately 30 km from the village of Privolnoye toward the Georgian border was ablaze. Due to the difficulty of accessing the terrain and darkness, firefighting activities faced significant challenges. At 01:40, operations were suspended due to limited visibility.
On December 24, at 04:43, firefighting efforts resumed, involving 172 rescuers, 22 units of equipment, and employees from the "Tashir Forest Economy" branch of the state enterprise "Hayantar." The fire was contained at 17:20, affecting a total area of 500 hectares, of which 300 hectares were grassland and 200 hectares were forested (including 2 hectares of dead trees). At 18:30, firefighting operations were halted due to darkness.
On December 25, at 07:30, additional personnel from the special operations rescue department and 15 firefighters were dispatched to the site. The fire had been contained by 17:20 on December 24. Significant smoke was still visible over an area of 500 hectares, with operations paused again due to darkness at 16:55.
On December 26, at 07:30, firefighting resumed near the Armenian-Georgian border, with efforts focused on the slope near the village of Privolnoye. Five firefighters and 30 rescuers (along with six units of accompanying equipment) from the special operations team were sent to the scene. Operations were again interrupted at 17:30 due to darkness.
On December 27, at 08:00, 45 rescuers returned to the area to continue firefighting efforts. Approximately 500 hectares were still under observation with smoldering hotspots (stumps and branches). Operations were suspended at 16:05.
On December 28, at 09:00, two firefighting teams from the regional rescue department were sent back to the site. Efforts were paused at 17:00.
On December 29, at 10:45, five firefighters returned to the scene to combat the remaining hotspots, which included one smoldering area. The operations were again halted at 17:05.