YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, September 16 (RIA Novosti) - Thunderstorm weather and lightning in the north of Russia’s far eastern Sakhalin Island triggered seven forest fires over the weekend, a spokesman for the local forestry department said on Monday.
He said one forest fire was put out and three more were contained by firefighters on Sunday.
“Three more forest fires are still active,” the spokesman said. “The total area covered by active and contained forest fires is estimated at 10 hectares.”
In the summer of 2010, devastating wildfires swept across Russia, killing more than 50 people, destroying thousands of houses, 2.6 million hectares of woods and a quarter of the country’s grain harvest.
According to earlier Greenpeace reports, last year’s wildfires in Russia were at some point even worse than in 2010.
