New satellite mapping shows 76.4% of the Nömrög strictly protected area burned

New satellite mapping shows that 76.4% of the Nömrög strictly protected area in Khalkhgol soum, Dornod province, was burned by the recent fire, MNB, iSee.mn, Hemnel and other Mongolian media reported on October 28.

What the new mapping shows

The burned area was mapped using 10-metre-resolution Sentinel-2 satellite imagery from October 25, 2026. The results:

• Of the protected area's 587,744.1 hectares, 448,993.6 ha, or 76.4%, burned.
• 138,750.5 ha, or 23.6%, did not burn.
• A further 55,966.8 ha outside the reserve's boundary also burned.
• The total burned area covered by the mapping is 504,960.4 ha.

The mapping was produced by the satellite applications and remote sensing division of the Information and Research Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment, part of the National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring. Officials describe it as an official, certified source.

How it compares with earlier figures

Ikon.mn had earlier reported, citing the agency's fire monitoring data, that the fire covered 528.8 thousand hectares in total, of which 469.0 thousand ha, or 79.8%, lay inside the protected area. The new, more detailed mapping puts the burned part of the reserve at 448,993.6 ha, or 76.4%.

In 2023, about 76% of the Nömrög protected area, around 447 thousand hectares, also burned. Damage from that fire was assessed at 3.6 billion tugriks.

Damage assessment continues

Forensic experts and forest and plant researchers have joined the working group tasked with assessing the damage. Equipment and power supply issues have been resolved, and two helicopters are being used to continue work at designated sites. Specialist agencies had earlier said they aimed to complete the damage assessment within 30 days.

The figures were widely shared by Mongolian users on X, many of whom are calling on the state to clearly explain the damage assessment, accountability and restoration plans.