Fire in Armenian reserve still raging
15.08.2017,
15:32
A Russian IL-76 aircraft, capable of dropping 42 tons of water in one go over fires raging on the ground, reached Armenia on Monday to help battle a major wildfire raging in Khosrov Forest Reserve.
YEREVAN, August 15. /ARKA/. A Russian IL-76 aircraft, capable of dropping 42 tons of water in one go over fires raging on the ground, reached Armenia on Monday to help battle a major wildfire raging in Khosrov Forest Reserve. Firefighters, rescuers, army and police forces, as well as local residents have been fighting the fire for the fourth day already.
According to Armenian nature protection minister Artsvik Minasyan, the fire spread very quickly aided by an unusually hot and dry weather, engulfing more than 200 hectares of land.
Minasyan was quoted as saying in a press release that despite a lot of preventive measures taken, the fire could not be contained, and as a result it quickly spread across the reserve enveloping a significant part of it , causing very serious damage to the environment.
The ministry asked all volunteers going to the Khosrov Forest to participate in fire fighting activities, to approach the reserve from Urtsadzor, where its staff and that of the ministry of emergency situations coordinate the distribution of forces sending volunteer groups to various sites of fire.
Khosrov (Garni) Reserve is located on the spurs of the Geghama Range, being encircled from the southwest by Lake Sevan. Most of the reserve covers the zone of highland xerophytes - drought-resistant plants that can withstand high temperatures. The area is distinguished by a special variety and richness of flora and fauna. The reserve covers an area of 29 thousand hectares in the basins of the rivers Azat and Khosrov and is located at an altitude of 1,400- 2,250 m above sea level.
It is home to 1,686 plant species, 146 of which are listed in the Red Books. Among them are wild pear, apple, plum, cherry, mountain ash, hawthorn, almonds, Vavilov rye.
The Khosrov Reserve boasts also of rare species of arachnids, crustaceans, insects, including a large variety of butterflies listed in the Red Book and also 5 species of amphibians and fish, 33 species of reptiles, 142 species of birds, 55 species of mammals, in particular, Transcaucasian brown bear, wild boar, broad-eared hedgehog, Armenian moufflon, bezoar goat, lynx, wolf, fox, leopard, and others. -0-
According to Armenian nature protection minister Artsvik Minasyan, the fire spread very quickly aided by an unusually hot and dry weather, engulfing more than 200 hectares of land.
Minasyan was quoted as saying in a press release that despite a lot of preventive measures taken, the fire could not be contained, and as a result it quickly spread across the reserve enveloping a significant part of it , causing very serious damage to the environment.
The ministry asked all volunteers going to the Khosrov Forest to participate in fire fighting activities, to approach the reserve from Urtsadzor, where its staff and that of the ministry of emergency situations coordinate the distribution of forces sending volunteer groups to various sites of fire.
Khosrov (Garni) Reserve is located on the spurs of the Geghama Range, being encircled from the southwest by Lake Sevan. Most of the reserve covers the zone of highland xerophytes - drought-resistant plants that can withstand high temperatures. The area is distinguished by a special variety and richness of flora and fauna. The reserve covers an area of 29 thousand hectares in the basins of the rivers Azat and Khosrov and is located at an altitude of 1,400- 2,250 m above sea level.
It is home to 1,686 plant species, 146 of which are listed in the Red Books. Among them are wild pear, apple, plum, cherry, mountain ash, hawthorn, almonds, Vavilov rye.
The Khosrov Reserve boasts also of rare species of arachnids, crustaceans, insects, including a large variety of butterflies listed in the Red Book and also 5 species of amphibians and fish, 33 species of reptiles, 142 species of birds, 55 species of mammals, in particular, Transcaucasian brown bear, wild boar, broad-eared hedgehog, Armenian moufflon, bezoar goat, lynx, wolf, fox, leopard, and others. -0-
