Huge Forest Fires In Russia’s Far East
RUSSIA: Huge Forest Fires In Russia’s Far East
Source: ITAR-TASS News Agency, 8 October 2001
By BorisSavelyev
Khabarovsk – Most of the seats of taiga fires have been localised in theKhabarovsk Territory of Russia. Forests and peat bogs were blazing on aterritory of 58,000 hectares only two days ago. Today, it remains to extinguishforest fires on only thirteen thousand hectares, the Far Eastern ForestProtection Aviation Agency reports.
The local authorities have taken measures to prevent people from going into theforests. Posts were put up on roads and an emergency situation was declared inthree districts. However, it is impossible to close all access to forests.People collecting berries and other forest products are very careless with fire.Five new seats of fire were spotted on Sunday in Amur, Vyazemsky, and Nanaidistricts.
More than six hundred men are now fighting forest fires in Khabarovsk Territory.Expert firefighters from airborne units were flown to the most dangerous zones.Planes and helicopters are patrolling the air space over the taiga.
A total of thirty-one forest fires, blazing on a territory of 23,000 hectares,were recorded in the Russian Far East, the regional centre of the Ministry forEmergencies reports. Two large fires are still raging on a territory of 8,400hectares in Maritime Territory. Fortunately, the inhabited localities,industrial and other structures are not in danger there.
Top
Back
