Khabarovsk officials said that straw fires in Heilongjiang were responsible for the smoke, and sent a letter to the Heilongjiang Department of Environmental Protection asking that provincial authorities get the situation under control and take new measures to prevent future fires. 
Maafisa wa Khabarovsk walisema kuwa moto katika eneo la Heilongjiang ndio sababu ya moshi huo, na walituma barua kwendakwa Idara ya Ulinzi wa Mazingira ya Heilongjiang kuziomba mamlaka za eneo hilo kudhibiti hali hiyo na kuchukua hatua za kuzuia matukio ya moto kwa siku zijazo.