Nearly 24,000 hectares of forest in the Numrug Strictly Protected Area in Khalkhgol soum, Dornod aimag, were damaged by the wildfire that broke out on October 8, according to a preliminary damage assessment.

Detailed findings, including the fire’s severity and the age of the affected forests, will be determined following the completion of scientific analysis.

Researchers will also compare samples collected from Numrug with biomass samples gathered by the Botanical Garden in 2024 and 2025 to determine the extent of the fire’s impact on steppe ecosystem biomass.

A team of around 50 scientists, researchers, experts and officials has completed remote sensing data processing, field measurements and sample collection. The team is now analyzing the data, samples and measurement results. Once this work is complete, a comprehensive assessment of the environmental damage and expert conclusions will be prepared, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia reported.

The assessment is being carried out in several stages: preparation, field research, data processing, and the compilation and presentation of findings. A large team carried out the fieldwork, using helicopters to reach remote and inaccessible areas, conduct detailed surveys and collect samples. This allowed the team to complete the fieldwork ahead of schedule.

Sandag-Ochir Tsend, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and Batbayar Shurenchuluun, State Secretary of the Ministry, met with members of the field team and reviewed the progress of their work and the preliminary findings.

According to the team, samples collected during the fieldwork are now being tested in the laboratory. The tests will determine whether plant roots and organic matter in the soil were burned, identify changes in soil properties and assess the fire’s effects on the ecosystem.

The ministry also noted that a detailed study of this scale had never before been conducted in the remote and hard-to-reach areas of the Numrug Strictly Protected Area. The findings will be important for accurately assessing the ecological damage caused by the wildfire and planning future measures on a scientific basis.

Published Date:2026-11-04