Forest fires are raging in Russia – about 100 thousand hectares of land. In total there are 79 large natural fires on the territory of the country. The most difficult situation is in the Amur Region . There is an emergency regime in place.
Over the past day in the country, 122 fires have been liquidated on an area of almost 14,000 hectares. The most difficult situation is in Siberia and the Far East: in Transbaikal, Krasnoyarsk, Primorsky Krai.
In the Amur Region, army helicopters of the Eastern Military District joined into extinguishing the fires. The crews are on duty round-the-clock, while also practicing combat training. For example, flights often pass over unfamiliar terrain, and landings occur on landing sites that were not prepared for it.
“The crews dumped 42 tons of water here, they coped, went back to the base,” said Yury Khamidulin, the pilot of the IL-76 aircraft, said.
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Strong winds and many months of drought have contributed the situation. Ecologists estimate damage caused not only to the flora, but also to the fauna. Some populations of birds and animals will soon have to look for new habitats.
“Now many animals have begun the process of reproduction and many small birds and animals are laying eggs. If there is a ground fire, nests located on the ground will not survive,” said ecologist Yuri Gafarov.
Regional authorities have already said that the punishment for starting fires in a fire-dangerous period in places not suitable for this will be tightened.
“We’ve caught 42 arsonists, unfortunately, the penalty is only 1500 rubles, ($23 USD)” said Governor of the Amur Region Alexander Kozlov.