Forty-nine forest and steppe fires have ripped across Mongolia since the beginning of this year, destroying 359,505 hectares of forest and grassland, the country's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said Tuesday.
In addition, 20 homes and a vehicle were burned, and 3,273 heads of livestock were killed in the wildfires, NEMA said in a statement.
The emergency agency said negligence was the leading cause, urging citizens not to make open fires or throw cigarette butts on the ground.
As of Tuesday, firefighters are working to contain two steppe fires in Choibalsan and Bulgan soums (administrative subdivisions) in the eastern province of Dornod, it said.