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WILDFIRES IN SIBERIA AND FAR EAST

Wildfire area in Siberia’s Krasnoyarsk Region grows to 880,000 hectares overnight

Yesterday the area under flames was smaller

© Donat Sorokin/TASS

KRASNOYARSK, August 7. /TASS/. The area engulfed by wildfires in Siberia’s Krasnoyarsk Region has expanded to nearly 880,000 hectares overnight, the regional forest fire center reported on Wednesday.

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As of noon local time (08:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the wildfires were raging on the territory of 826,500 hectares. Some 111 wildfires were reported on Wednesday, covering 879,620 hectares.

Most wildfires have been registered in the control zone (hard-to-reach areas, in which a firefighting effort is carried out upon the decision of a local emergencies commission), where 864,000 hectares are burning.

The forest is blazing in the Yevenkiisky, Turukhansky, Boguchansky, Kezhemsky, Yeniseisky, Severo-Yeniseisky and Birilyussky districts. There is no threat to the settlements.

Wildfires in the region reached their peak last week, when the flaming area of the taiga exceeded 1.1 mln hectares. On Thursday, the Defense Ministry’s air task force consisting of 10 Ilyushin Il-76 planes was deployed to battle the fires.

A state of emergency is still in force in the area and access to the forests has been limited. According to the local forestry ministry, the fires broke out due to natural causes — hot weather, lack of precipitation, strong winds and dry thunderstorms.

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