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No wildfires in Irkutsk rgn, forest patrolling in Bratsk continues

As of Monday morning, there are no forest fires in Bratsk, in the Bratsk district, as well as in the Angara River region in general

IRKUTSK, October 10 (Itar-Tass) — As of Monday morning, there are no forest fires in Bratsk, in the Bratsk district, as well as in the Angara River region in general, forestry minister of the Irkutsk region Nikolai Penyushkin told journalists on Monday specifying that “this situation has persisted for the past four days already.”

According to Penyushkin, the only “unpleasantness” in the Bratsk district are smouldering swamps in the territory of the town of Vikhorevka.

However, the Emergency Situations Ministry and Interior Ministry continue patrolling of forests in Bratsk that in late September - early October was covered in smoke. “Until the situation concerning arsons there stabilises, the patrolling mission will not be ended,” the regional minister said. According to him, “aerial patrolling will be continued this week, despite the fact that the fire hazard class today is minimal.”

Thirteen criminal cases has been opened in connection with the destruction and damage to forest plantations in Bratsk, including by arson, 62 people have been detained within them. Law enforcement agencies have managed to confirm the version that arsons caused the rampant fires.

The regional ministry has disproved the version that links the fires with the work in Bratsk of “black fellers” who thus attempted to conceal the illegal logging. “The forest in the town territory has no value in terms of logging,” the minister said.