Wildfire in Kazakhstan

Eight simultaneous forest fires were registered across Kazakhstan's state forest fund on 13 August 2026, marking the country's most recent major flare-up amid a severe and volatile wildfire season. Blazes actively emerged in the East Kazakhstan, Kostanay, Karaganda, and Ulytau regions.

The country has suffered through weeks of intense heat, with temperatures in areas like East Kazakhstan approaching 50°C, while frequent dry thunderstorms have repeatedly ignited dry grasslands. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported from this recent wave of wildfires.

Over 400 firefighters, 100 specialized vehicles, and heavy-duty water-dropping helicopters operated by Kazavialesookhrana are actively extinguishing fire perimeters in the Abai and Kostanay regions. Specialized aircraft have dropped over 150 tonnes of water onto active lines.

Localised evacuations have also been carried out; for example, 233 people were safely removed from the DosbolLike youth holiday camp in the Abai region. The government provided immediate temporary shelter, meals, and medical checkups before arranging transport home.

Since the wildfire season began, the country has recorded over 530 forest fires, burning through more than 10,300 hectares of state forest land.