The first session of the Northern Regional Council was held in Bulgan Province, with Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene and Minister of Roads and Transport B.Delgersaikhan flying in by helicopter. The landing took place at Bulgan Airport, which has operated since 1957 and is scheduled to be paved next year.
Meanwhile, a forest fire that broke out on April 28 in Bogdkhan Mountain, located in the 11th khoroo of Khan-Uul District, has destroyed approximately 56 hectares of forest. As of the same date, four forest and steppe fires have been reported in total, including incidents in Zuunburen and Tsagaan Nuur soums of Selenge Province, and Batshireet soum of Khentii Province.
Volunteers assisted by carrying water to Bogdkhan Mountain, and 134 emergency responders with 30 vehicles from the water management department worked to control the blaze as of 11:10 PM on April 28.
Helicopters could not be used due to high winds
Colonel T. Bayarkhuu, Secretary of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), explained: “Helicopters are used under specific conditions. Due to the strong wind yesterday, it was not possible to deploy helicopters for firefighting. The helicopters stationed in Bulgan, Selenge, and Darkhan were used for search, rescue, and medical transport.”
Mongolia has purchased three EC-145 firefighting helicopters and one training helicopter from France under a €59 million soft loan agreement with the French Treasury. The deal, facilitated by the French company Heli-Union, was implemented through NEMA.
Were the Helicopters Misused?
Questions have been raised about the use of these helicopters. Although intended for emergency use, they appear to have been used to transport government officials instead of combating active fires.
According to the EC-145 Flight Manual, helicopters of this type can typically operate safely in winds of 15–18 m/s, with caution advised above that range. Flights are usually canceled or suspended only when winds exceed 20–23 m/s. On April 28, wind gusts in Ulaanbaatar reached 14–16 m/s—conditions that, according to experts, would not have ruled out helicopter-assisted firefighting.
This discrepancy has fueled public criticism that the helicopters were not deployed appropriately during a critical moment, prioritizing official convenience over emergency response.
The first session of the Northern Regional Council was held in Bulgan Province, with Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene and Minister of Roads and Transport B.Delgersaikhan flying in by helicopter. The landing took place at Bulgan Airport, which has operated since 1957 and is scheduled to be paved next year.
Meanwhile, a forest fire that broke out on April 28 in Bogdkhan Mountain, located in the 11th khoroo of Khan-Uul District, has destroyed approximately 56 hectares of forest. As of the same date, four forest and steppe fires have been reported in total, including incidents in Zuunburen and Tsagaan Nuur soums of Selenge Province, and Batshireet soum of Khentii Province.
Volunteers assisted by carrying water to Bogdkhan Mountain, and 134 emergency responders with 30 vehicles from the water management department worked to control the blaze as of 11:10 PM on April 28.
Helicopters could not be used due to high winds
Colonel T. Bayarkhuu, Secretary of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), explained: “Helicopters are used under specific conditions. Due to the strong wind yesterday, it was not possible to deploy helicopters for firefighting. The helicopters stationed in Bulgan, Selenge, and Darkhan were used for search, rescue, and medical transport.”
Mongolia has purchased three EC-145 firefighting helicopters and one training helicopter from France under a €59 million soft loan agreement with the French Treasury. The deal, facilitated by the French company Heli-Union, was implemented through NEMA.
Were the Helicopters Misused?
Questions have been raised about the use of these helicopters. Although intended for emergency use, they appear to have been used to transport government officials instead of combating active fires.
According to the EC-145 Flight Manual, helicopters of this type can typically operate safely in winds of 15–18 m/s, with caution advised above that range. Flights are usually canceled or suspended only when winds exceed 20–23 m/s. On April 28, wind gusts in Ulaanbaatar reached 14–16 m/s—conditions that, according to experts, would not have ruled out helicopter-assisted firefighting.
This discrepancy has fueled public criticism that the helicopters were not deployed appropriately during a critical moment, prioritizing official convenience over emergency response.