Over half of forest fires put out in Russia’s Far East

KHABAROVSK, May 5 (Itar-Tass) - More than half of 20 forest fires on an area of more than five thousand hectares were put out in the Far Eastern Federal District over the past day, the forestry department in the federal district said on Monday. “In the morning on May 5 nine forest fires keep raging in the Far East, eight of them in Amur Region, one in Primorsky Territory. Twenty forest fires [12 in Amur Region, seven in Primorsky Territory and one fire in Khabarovsk Territory] have been burning in the district for the last day. The blaze has burnt down 5,367 hectares in the Far Eastern Federal District for the last day,” the forestry department said. As much as 4,448 hectares or around 83 percent of fire area fall on Amur Region. As many as 518 people, 269 units of machinery, eight aircrafts, including four helicopters were involved in fire-fighting in the federal district. From the start of the fire-prone season 1,483 forest fires broke out on an area of more than 303 thousand hectares on protected territories in the federal district. As many as 270 forest fires on an area of slightly more than 43.8 thousand hectares were reported for the same period in 2013 in the federal district. Learn more on itar-tass.com