YEREVAN (A.W.)—Armenia’s Minister of Nature Protection Artsvik Minasyan provided updates on the firefighting mission and the damages caused by the Khosrov State Reserve fire, speaking at an Aug. 18 press conference in Yerevan.
“When talking about the damage, it should be noted [the forest’s] ‘state reserve’ status means that the biodiversity there is highly valued by the state,” Minasyan said, adding that the losses and damage in state reserves should be taken more seriously than in other areas.
The fire at the reserve broke out on Aug. 12. Four days later, all of the fire’s hot spots were extinguished after a concerted mission by local fire crews, Armenian military units, and a Russian air tanker and its crew.
The Khosrov Forest State Reserve is located in the Ararat Province, in southwestern Armenia, and is one the oldest protected areas in the world.
“What makes our losses distinct is that the trees in these areas are difficult to grow and almost impossible to recover,” Minasyan said during the press conference. A large stand of 150-year-old juniper trees were among those lost in the fire.
Although instances of loss of animal life were recorded among small reptiles, larger animals in the reserve seem to have remained unharmed, Minasyan said.
“We have already gotten support from international organizations in terms of natural rehabilitation, the reinforcement of our firefighting measures, and the strengthening of our technical equipment, not only for the Khosrov Forest State Reserve but all especially protected areas,” Minasyan explained.
Minasyan thanked the individuals and organizations that did their utmost to minimize the consequences of the fire. “I express my gratitude to our commanders, the armed units, our troops, who together have done such brilliant work and have made an invaluable contribution to the protection of the property of our people, our statehood, and our future generations,” Minasyan said.
Minasyan, who actively participated on the firefighting mission on the ground, noted that the cause of the fire will hopefully be revealed at the conclusion of an ongoing investigation. “It is not ruled out that any version, or a human factor, can be ruled out because the fire broke out in an area where there is much movement between community and private areas,” he said.
Firefighters succeeded in localizing the fire with the help of a Russian air tanker and its crew. On Aug 21, Minasyan awarded the flight crew members of Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations IL-76 air tanker. According to the Ministry of Nature Protection’s press service, Minasyan extended his gratitude to the aircrew members for performing their mission “with utmost responsibility.”
By Minasyan’s order, the commander of the IL-76, Evgeny Serikh, was awarded the departmental medal of the Ministry of Nature Protection for “delivering exceptional service and high professional competence.” The aircrew members were also presented with certificates of appreciation as well as lifetime passes to Armenia’s state reserves. Armenia’s Minister of Emergency Situations Davit Tonoyan also handed departmental awards to the commander and crew of the Russian emergency air tanker.
Armenia’s Prime Minister, Karen Karapetyan, also thanked all those involved in the firefighting mission. “I want to thank our rescuers, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Ministry of Nature Protection, the Armed Forces of Republic of Armenia, the Police, the forestry staff, and all our citizens who took part in the firefighting works. I express my gratitude to our colleagues from Russia, particularly to the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, for special equipment allocation. I am thankful to the Russian pilots and rescuers for their work,” Karapetyan wrote on his official Facebook page.
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