NOVOSIBIRSK, May 07./ITAR-TASS/. Forty-eight forest fires are reported on an area of 120.3 thousand hectares in Siberia on Wednesday, including 118.7 thousand hectares in Trans-Baikal Territory, the press service of the forest department in the Siberian Federal District reported.

Several hectares of forests are on fire in the republics of Buryatia, Tuva and Khakassia, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Irkutsk, Omsk and Tomsk regions.

For the past day specialists of the forest security service and paratroopers specialised in fire-fighting have put out 174 forest fires on an area of 18.2 thousand hectares in Siberia. Careless handling with fire and withered dry grass fires on the croplands became main reasons for the fires.

The special anti-fire regime is in effect in the eastern Siberian city of Chita and four districts in Trans-Baikal Territory, nine districts in Omsk Region and on the whole territory of Irkutsk Region.

The emergency was declared on the whole territory of Trans-Baikal Territory and Buryatia, in one district of Irkutsk Region and in one district of Omsk Region.