Borjomi wildfire

The 2008 Borjomi wildfires started in the Borjomi Gorge, Georgia on August 15, 2008 and lasted for several days to come, completely destroying a large part of the Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, one of the largest national parks in Europe.
The wildfire occured during the aerial bombardment of Georgia's territory by the Russian Air Force in the 2008 South Ossetia war. Eyewitnesses reported camouflage-painted helicopters in the sky just before the fire erupted. Georgia accused Russia of deliberating starting a fire using incendiary devices, describing it as a ecocide. Russia's Defence Ministry denied bombing the forests and said that they would help the Georgians extinguish the fires if requested. Despite Turkish and Ukrainian aid, the firefighting efforts were complicated by the ongoing conflict and airspace restrictions.
According to the government of Georgia,
The Borjomi wildfire alarmed international environmental organizations. WWF called on "all parties capable of helping put out forest fires in central Georgia to work together to extinguish them." The PAN Parks network, of which the Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park is a member, sent a latter to the Russian Minister of Natural Resources, expressing its concerns that the "recent bombing in Borjomi district resulted in a forest fire, which threatens Borjomi Kharagauli National Park." The World Bank expressed its "grave concern the reports of forest fires in the Borjomi area of Georgia" and sent an assessment team in the area. The OSCE-UNEP mission will also assess the damage caused by fire, including in the Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park and adjacent forested areas.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu