Forest fires in Russia spread to huge territory
The overall territory hit by forest fires in Russia has spread to more than 100,000 hectares, the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources reported on Monday, according to TASS.
By Monday morning the overall territory hit by forest fires had totaled 101,942 hectares, where 47 fires were registered. The Baikal region in southern Siberia is the worst hit by the fires with an overall territory ablaze reported at 101,000 hectares.
Four more forest fires were registered on the territory of the Tyva region in central Siberia. Relatively minor fires, which hit a territory of several dozen hectares, were registered in Buryatia, Khakassia, Dagestan, the Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk regions.
Fire fighters have extinguished 56 forest fires which broke out on a territory of 42,757 hectares, the source said. The number of fire-fighters rose to 2,280 men force who are provided with 410 units of engineering facilities and three fire-fighting planes.