GORNO-ALTAISK, August 1 (Itar-Tass) — Five wildfires covering an area of 137 hectares are fixed in Yakutia as of Monday. Four of them have been localized, the press services of the republican department of the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations and the local forestry department report.
According to these services, 12 wildfires engulfing an area of 6,689 hectares have been put out in Yakutia during the weekend. All in all, a total of 422 wildfires have been fixed in the republic this year. The fires have destroyed 434,295 hectares, including 33,756 hectares of woodland.
A total of 194 people, assisted by 34 units of hardware, including 12 aircraft, combat the blaze. Aircraft have dumped 48 tons of water on fires over the past 24 hours.
An emergency situation regime, imposed in 18 rural areas and the Yakutsk city district because of wildfires on July 15, stays in place. About 120 paratrooper firefighters from other regions take part in fight against wildfires within the framework of inter-regional cooperation. Thirty-seven paratroopers have arrived from the Siberian Federal District, 21 – from the Amur region, 12 – from the Kemerovo region, 25 – from the Chita region and 25 paratroopers have arrived from Tuva.
A total of 50 local citizens being the cause of a wildfire have been identified. Seven criminal proceedings have been instituted in that connection.
In connection with the emergency situation regime in the region, the local emergencies ministry’s department has urged the population to refrain from going to the forest, as well as reminds people of a need to observe basic fire safety demands.