8 May 2019 13:44

Wildfire area shrinks a little in Siberia, Far Eastern Federal District

BLAGOVESHCHENSK. May 8 (Interfax) - The wildfire area in Russia has shrunk to 52,400 hectares over the day thanks to the improved situation in the Transbaikal Territory and the Far East, the Avialesookhrana federal enterprise said in a report on Wednesday.

A total of 248 wildfires have been put out on 39,700 hectares over the day, and 100 fires are being extinguished, the report said.

Most fires are raging in the Kurgan and Irkutsk regions. There are five fires on 13,500 hectares in the Kurgan region, and 27 fires on 13,100 hectares in the Irkutsk region, which is 2.5 times more than the day before.

The situation has stabilized in the Amur region, where six wildfires are burning on 10,800 hectares. The number of wildfires in the Transbaikal Territory reduced 66% since Tuesday morning to 11 fires on 9,100 hectares.

There are 24 fires (on 1,600 hectares) in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, five fires (on 1,400 hectares) in Buryatia, four fires (on 1,000 hectares) in Tuva, two fires (on 725 hectares) in the Chelyabinsk region, one fire (on 385 hectares) in the Severdlovsk region, and five fires (on 137 hectares) in Bashkortostan. Less than a hundred hectares are ablaze in the Tyumen and Tomsk regions, the Perm Territory, and Khakassia.

Wildfires are being fought in the Tunskinsky National Park in Buryatia (248 hectares), the Pre-Baikal Nature Conservancy Territory in the Irkutsk region (7 hectares), and the Teberdinsky State Biosphere Nature Reserve in Karachayevo-Cherkessia (1 hectare).

The Angarsk city forest farm is on fire in the Irkutsk region.

The fires are being fought by 6,000 men and 1,500 vehicles. Sixty-five aircraft are providing aerial monitoring.