Major Fire in Aragatsotn Province: Firefighters Battled Flames for Over 7 Hours

Today, on July 21, a major fire broke out in Aragatsotn Province. At around 05:50, the Emergency Situations Ministry’s Rescue Service received a call at its 911 crisis management center reporting a fire in the backyard of a house in the village of Voskhehat.

According to photojournalist Gagik Shamshyan from the scene, two fire crews arrived promptly from the Emergency Situations Ministry's Fire and Rescue Service unit in Ashtarak. The firefighters fought the blaze for nearly 7 hours at the residence owned by 23-year-old Alik Hovhannisyan, located at 4th Street, 4th Alley, 4th House of the aforementioned village. The fire originated in approximately 800 stacks of hay near the house and spread to the roof.

Local residents and two young men from the village assisted the firefighters, operating their personal tractor to perform extensive work for several hours. Villagers expressed their frustration, stating, “For more than 10 days, Veolia Water has not provided water to the village. For 10 days, we have been complaining and calling, with no results. If the officials in Veolia Water’s offices had promptly responded to our phone calls and provided water in time, perhaps we could have extinguished the fire before the firefighters arrived. Then we wouldn’t have suffered such significant damage.”

The villagers added, “Now we don’t know who will lend us a helping hand, who will hold Veolia Water accountable, so that at least the water issue is resolved. Otherwise, who has seen water absence for more than 10 days in the 21st century? The original culprit for us now is Veolia Water, which has lost its positive image.”