MOSCOW, July 30 (Itar-Tass) — At least 34 fires are currently effective in the Tomsk region on the area of 10,300 hectares, deputy governor Andrei Trubitsyn told journalists on Monday.
“Additional forces from the federal reserve are being transported to the spot. Four helicopters of the Russian Defence Ministry are expected to arrive,” Trubitsyn said.
“The total group, which fight forest fires in the region, has increased up to 1,577 people and 170 units of hardware. Twenty aircraft are involved in the fire-fighting operation. Additional four combat helicopters are due to arrive,” the deputy governor said.
He stressed, “Much has been done to protect settlements.”
“At present, the ‘forbidden’ methods of using explosive devices are tested to prevent forest fires from spreading,” the deputy governor said.
In his words, 313 paratroopers are involved in order to fight fires.
For his part, an official of the Tomsk meteorological centre, Alexei Krutovsky, said, “The state of emergency has been extended till July 31 because of the unfavourable weather conditions. The heat will not leave the region. The first weeks of August will be rather warm and without heavy rains.”
Earlier, the Emergencies Ministry reported that twelve aircraft, including the Be-200 and Il-76 planes, had been involved to fight fires. “There is no threat to settlements from forest fires,” the ministry stressed.
According to its data, the fire risk situation remains in the Verkhneketsky, Parabelsky, Teguldetsky, Pervomaisky, Molchanovsky, Kargasoksky, Kolpashevsky and Chainsky districts.