KHABAROVSK, May 23 (Itar-Tass) — Twenty-three out of 53 forest fires have been put out in the Russian Far East, an official at the Forestry Department for the Far Eastern Federal District said on Wednesday, adding that wildfires burnt out more than 1,770 hectares of taiga in the federal district.
According to the department, “Forest fires continue raging in three regions of the federal district – in the Amur region, as well as in the Khabarovsk and Primorye territories,” the official said.
In his words, 685 people were mobilised for the fire-fighting operations. The total forces of planes and helicopters, involved in the delivery of fire-fighters to the fire sites and air patrol operations, reached 20 units, the official said.
The forestry services see the major cause of the wildfires in the population negligence. To stabilise the situation, the Amur region imposed the fire emergency regime in its six municipalities of the region.
Besides, a special counter-fire regime with the limited access of the population to forests is effective in the Primorye Territory, the Amur region and the Jewish Autonomous District, the official said.
At least 887 forest fires in a total area of about 25,278 hectares have been registered in the Far Easter Federal District since the beginning of this year’s fire-prone season.