One thousand firemen mobilized to fight forest fires in Khabarovsk
One thousand firemen mobilized to fight forest fires in Khabarovsk
20 May 2006
published by www.itar-tass.com
KHABAROVSK — More than 1,000 people have been mobilized to extinguish forest fires in the Russian Far East. Thirty-two fires have been suppressed and ten have been localized on an area of more than 22,000 hectares over the last 24 hours. However, new fires have broken out.
More than 90 fires are raging in the territories of the Amur region as well as the Primorye and Khabarovsk territories and the Jewish autonomous region. The flames have burnt out more than 564,000 hectares of wood and other lands.
The number of fires has increased by 3.6 times compared to the same period last year. The Amur region is the worst hit. More than 400,000 hectares have burnt out there.
Forest protection experts say the fires are posing no direct threat to the populated localities or economic facilities.
