Thousands Battle Massive Forest Fires
Thousands of people have been battling massive forest fires sweeping across Mongolia and shrouding the capital, Ulan Bator, in thick smoke, officials said.
About 110 fires were raging in eight provinces, and 64 were out of control, civil defense officials said. The blazes are thought to have been started by vacationers visiting the countryside parched by a hot, dry summer.
“The situation is catastrophic,” civil defense spokesman Luvsanjamba said. The fires are the latest blow to a country reeling from two years of drought followed by harsh winters that killed huge numbers of livestock from 1999 to 2001.
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