KHABAROVSK, July 12 (Itar-Tass) — Fires have affected 12,900 hectares of forest areas, including 3,545 hectares of wooded areas, in the Russian Far East over the past 24 hours.

Forest rangers extinguished 20 of 50 fires and localised 15. Eight big fires were put out in the Khabarovsk Territory.

However new fires started in five regions, bringing their total number to nearly 30. More than 3,000 hectares of forest are on fire in Yakutia, nearly 1,300 hectares in the Khabarovsk Territory, four fires are raging in the Amur region, one in the Magadan region and one in Chukotka.

More than 1,000 people, 170 pieces of machinery and 22 aircraft are involved in fire-fighting operations.

The Emergencies Ministry has provided a Mi-8 helicopter and a Be-200 plane for transporting fire-fighting teams. The Be-200 plan dumped about 118 tonnes of water on burning areas.

According to the Forestry Department for the Far Eastern Federal District, 1,856 forest fires in an area of 244,400 hectares have occurred since the start of the season.