Firefighters extinguished 13 wildfires in the Russian Far East in the past twenty-four hours, but are still battling 10 forest fires in the area, the regional forestry department said on Thursday.
Over 350 people and 44 units of mechanized rescue equipment, including 15 aircraft, are involved in the firefighting effort, the department said.
Russia is trying to prevent the developments of last summer, when an enormous heat wave in the country’s European part caused massive wildfires, which killed 62 people and left thousands homeless.
Wildfires in forested regions of Russia are common during the dry and hot summer season. Most of the time, the fires start because of the careless behavior of local residents in the woods.