The Russian Navy has joined the effort to fight the wildfires raging across the country by setting up rapid reaction groups to prevent fire, a Navy Main Staff spokesman said on Sunday.
"Rapid reaction groups have been set up in accordance with the [Defense] minister's decree as part a package of measures... aimed at preventing and halting the spread of fire," the spokesman said.
"All the firefighting vehicles which are at disposal of the [Russian] naval units are in higher state of readiness," the spokesman said.
Wildfires raging in central Russia due to the abnormally hot weather have claimed 30 lives, left 2,210 people homeless and caused damage worth over 4.6 billion rubles ($150 million), the Regional Development Ministry said on Sunday.
MOSCOW, August 1 (RIA Novosti)
