More than 700 people combating wildfires burning on over 250,000 hectares in Russia's Yakutia
YAKUTSK. Aug 4 (Interfax) - Wildfires are raging on an area of over 257,000 hectares in Russia's Yakutia, and more than 700 people have taken part in combating the blazes in the past 24 hours, the press service of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry's regional branch said on Tuesday.
"Seventy-five wildfires are burning on an overall area of 257,056 hectares in Yakutia's territory. At the same time, the area of active burning is 385.58 hectares. A total of 769 people and 82 pieces of equipment have taken part in combating the forest fires over the past 24 hours," the press service said.
An airmobile group of the ministry's regional branch is helping deal with the potential threat from the forest fires with the aim of protecting the village of Aleko-Kyuel in the Srednyaya Kolyma district. A counter firing operation has been conducted during a forest fire," it said.
The situation remains challenging in the village of Svatai in the Srednyaya Kolyma district that was shrouded in smoke from burning forest fires in previous days.
"Winds have been bringing smoke from time to time, but it's clear today. The fire is burning approximately 1.5 kilometers from the village, beyond the Alazeya River. The fire has been partly contained. A counter firing operation has been carried out. Around 50 people are currently working to extinguish the blaze," the press service of Yakutia's government quoted Svatai village deputy head Daria Borisova as saying.
As reported earlier, an emergency situation has been declared due to raging forest fires in Yakutia. The Russian government has additionally allocated around 500 million rubles to help combat forest fires in Yakutia, whose northern districts have been hardest hit by such fires.