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Total area of forest fires in Siberia decreases by third to 851 hectares over day

The local population negligence, as well as thunderstorms, still remains among the major cause of wildfires
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

NOVOSIBIRSK, June 14 (Itar-Tass) - The total area of forest fires in the Siberian Federal District decreased by a third over the recent 24 hours to 851.4 hectares, an official at the District’s department of the Russian Federal Forestry Agency told Itar-Tass on Friday.

Over the period under review, 27 woodland fires have been fully put out in the republics of Buryatia, Tyva, Khakassia, in the Trans-Baikal and Krasnoyarsk territories, and in the Irkutsk region, which is a results of fire-fighters efforts and cool and rainy weather.

Now, 17 wildfires are raging in the Siberian Federal District, the official said. More than 400 forest-protection specialists, fire-fighter paratroopers, on-land fire-fighting machinery units and 12 planes and copters are mobilised to the operations.

The local population negligence, as well as thunderstorms, still remains among the major cause of wildfires.

“A special fire-protection regimen was imposed in the Trans-Baikal Territory and the Republic of Buryatia. Moreover, the emergencies regimes was imposed in the Selenginsky and Severo-Baikalsky districts of Buryatia,” the official added.