Nearly 15 forest and steppe fires remained active in northern Mongolia's Selenge province, with more than 425 firefighters deployed to contain the blazes, the country's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said on Tuesday.
The fires followed record-breaking temperatures in the region earlier this week.
Since the beginning of the year, Mongolia has recorded a total of 194 forest and steppe fires. The NEMA attributed the majority of these incidents to human negligence, such as improper fire handling, while others were triggered by dry, windy spring conditions and this summer's extreme heat and drought.
Authorities have issued warnings to residents, urging them to refrain from lighting bonfires or discarding cigarette butts outdoors during dry and hot weather conditions.
Environmental experts noted that Mongolia is among the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Due to its geographical location, natural disasters associated with global climate change are increasing year by year, including forest and steppe fires, as well as desertification, land degradation and yellow dust storms.
According to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, only 7.9 percent of Mongolia is forested, while approximately 77 percent of the country's total land area is now affected by desertification and degradation.

Published Date:2025-07-23