Hot, dry weather makes forest fires spreading quicker in Siberia

Most fires were reported in the north-eastern part of the Krasnoyarsk Territory on the borderline with the Irkutsk Region and in the Baikal Territory, a source in the Siberian regional emergencies center told Itar-Tass on Monday.

Some 14 forest fires are raging on a total area of 905 hectares that is 125 hectares higher than a day before, a duty officer of the Krasnoyarsk forest firefighting center Alexander Kiselev said. "Major forest fires were not reported. Dry thunderstorms triggered 13 fires. Some 384 people, 10 units of machinery, four airplanes and four helicopters were involved in the firefighting efforts," he noted.

"A hot and dry weather up to 20 degrees Celsius makes the fires spreading quicker. No rains are expected in the Kezhem district of the territory soon, the weathermen reported," Alexander Kiselev added.

Most wildfires in Siberia are raging in the area, which is accessible only by aircraft rather than for an urgent ground delivery of people and machinery to the fires. Therefore, the helicopters will airlift the paratroopers to the fire sites. The aircraft of the air forest security service and the Siberian regional emergencies center has made 16 flights to airlift paratroops and machinery to the fire areas and for air patrolling for the past day.

Some 851 people and 78 pieces of machinery were involved in the firefighting efforts for the past day.

"No fire threat for the settlements exists," the EMERCOM press service reported.