1100 Residents Evacuated: Drones Used to Investigate Fire Foci in Chapni and Sevaqar Villages

On August 25, at 11:40 AM, an investigation of the areas around Chapni and Sevaqar villages was conducted using drones, which revealed 5-6 fire foci towards Norashenik village and 2 active foci towards Sevaqar village.

Firefighting operations are underway in the specified area involving 18 rescuers, 21 servicemen, 15 local residents, and 1 water supplier from the Zangezur copper-molybdenum combine. The total area affected by the fire is approximately 100 hectares. Further information will be provided.

The Emergency Situations National Service's 911 line received a call on August 24 at 2:00 PM reporting that fields were burning near the cemetery in Chapni village, Syunik Province. Five fire-rescue teams were dispatched from the regional emergency rescue department to the scene. It was determined that forested and grass-covered areas were burning.

Due to safety concerns, residents of Chapni and Sevaqar villages were evacuated from 3:55 PM, totaling 110 residents. From 4:30 PM to 8:07 PM, the section of the M-2 highway from the 21st km of Kapan-Goris to the area of Kapan's Gorkhanyan Street (airport area) was closed by traffic police.

The fire was contained by 8:49 PM, affecting about 70 hectares of forested area and approximately 30 hectares of vegetation. Firefighting operations were suspended at 8:51 PM. Monitoring of the incident is being carried out by 3 employees from the Kapan branch of the Hayantar SNCO, 3 employees from the Zangezur Biosphere Complex SNCO, 5 local residents, and 3 firefighting personnel. Three water supply trucks and one tractor from the copper-molybdenum combine have been involved in firefighting efforts.