Forest fires burning in Russia's Amur region and Khabarovsk territory spread 1,523 hectares in one day; district has seen 1,564 forest fires on 313,600 hectares since start of wildfire season

Wendy Lisney

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia , May 13, 2014 (Interfax Russia & CIS General Newswire ) – Nine forest fires raging in the Russian Far East are being extinguished and 19 out of 28 fires have been put out over the past 24 hours, the Far Eastern Federal District forestry department said on Tuesday.

"Some 28 forest fires were burning in the Far Eastern Federal District yesterday, including 15 in the Amur region, eight in the Khabarovsk territory, three in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), one in the Sakhalin region and one in the Primorsky territory," the report runs.

Flames spread into 1,523 hectares over the previous day, mostly in the Amur region (1,045 hectares or 69%) and the Khabarovsk territory (457 hectares or 30%).

A total of 525 men, 73 fire engines and twelve aircraft, including seven helicopters, were fighting the blaze.

As of Tuesday morning, four forest fires were raging in the Khabarovsk territory, another four in the Amur region and one in Yakutia.

In all, the district has seen 1,564 forest fires on approximately 313,600 hectares since the beginning of this wildfire season. The district reported 417 forest fires on slightly more than 66,600 hectares in the corresponding period of last year.

Te cm

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