Forest fires in Siberia spread to 49,225 hectares from 35,731 hectares in one day, federal district has seen 4,495 forest fires on 652,800 hectares since start of wildfire season

Aimee Bellah

NOVOSIBIRSK, Russia , May 21, 2014 (Interfax Russia & CIS General Newswire) – Some 48 forest fires were burning on 49,225 hectares in the Siberian Federal District as of Wednesday morning, the district department of the Federal Forestry Agency (Rosleskhoz) said.

Some 18 fires were confined to 28,632.5 hectares, including 15 large fires to 28,551 hectares in Buryatia, Tuva, the Trans-Baikal and Krasnoyarsk territories and the Irkutsk region.

Forty-six forest fires were put out on 1,266.4 hectares over the past 24 hours, including twelve large fires on 753 hectares in the Omsk and Irkutsk regions, Buryatia, the Altai and Krasnoyarsk territories.

The wildfire area in Siberia grew from 35,731.1 hectares to 49,225 hectares since Tuesday.

Some 634 foresters and smokejumpers, 105 fire engines and seven aircraft were assigned on the firefighting mission.

The negligence of local residents and agricultural burnings were the main causes of the wildfires.

In all, the Siberian Federal District has seen 4,495 forest fires on an area of 652,800 hectares since the beginning of this wildfire season.

Te cm

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