VLADIVOSTOK (Sputnik) – The number of active forest fires in Russia’s Far East has reached 38, with the blazes having covered an area of 1,700 hectares (5.6 square miles), the Forestry Department of the Far Eastern Federal District informs.
"In the past 24 hours, 46 forest fires were being struggled with on the Far Eastern territory; firefighter units managed to put out 8 of them. Regional forestry services — 696 people and 61 units of equipment, as well as 23 air units, including 13 helicopters, continue to tackle 38 fires," the forestry department said in a Friday statement.
Of the 38 forest fires that are still active, 7 have been contained, the statement added.
Wildfires have also affected Russia’s Zabaikalsky Territory. Currently, 39 forest fires are active in the region, 14 of them have been contained.
A state of emergency has been declared in some areas of the Far East and Zabaikalsky Territory amid the fires.
