Emergency regime introduced in Yakutia over forest fires

The emergency situation regime is declared in the territory of the Amginsky, Gorny, Megino-Kangalassky, Namsky, Tattinsky, Ust-Aldansky, Khangalassky, Churapchinsky districts and the city of Yakutsk urban district. President of Yakutia Yegor Borisov instructed heads of municipalities to take measures to extinguish fires and prevent threats to human settlements in an emergency situation regime. According to him, the stay of people that are not involved in the fire extinguishing efforts in the forest zone, will be banned.

There are a total of 34 fires affecting a total area of 86,500 hectares in the forests of Yakutia. The city of Yakutsk and a number of settlements are in smoke. As many as 2,978 people and 289 pieces of fire-fighting equipment, including 8 aircraft, including two helicopters Mi-26 and an Ilyushin Il-76 plane from the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia (EMERCOM) are engaged in the fire fighting operation. The paratroopers of the specialised aviation fire fighting service of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Magadan, Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions, as well as Karelia, have been attracted to the operation within the framework of interregional cooperation in fighting wildfires. The main cause of the fires is agricultural burning in the conditions of dry and windy weather. The law enforcement and regulatory authorities have been able to identify 39 people, through the fault which fires occurred. Criminal proceedings will be instituted against them depending on the damage caused.

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