Twenty-five forest fires were recorded by now in Russia's Khabarovsk Territory and in Yakutia. Their total area tops 4,200 hectares, according to Itar-Tass. The Khabarovsk Territorial Ministry of Timber Industry reports that twelve major fires are now blazing on a total area of more than 3,275 hectares. Very hot weather with temperatures going up to 30 degrees above zero increases the danger of the fires spreading to other areas, too. One hundred and eighty-five men and dozens of fire-fighting machines were sent to extinguish the fires. Priority efforts are being exerted to localize the big fires in Verkhnebureinsk district. There were 236 fires in Khabarovsk Territory since the beginning of the fire hazard season. More than 57,000 hectares of forestland were burned out. “The main reasons of the fires include human negligence, violation of safety rules in the forests, and thunderstorms,” experts of the Forestry Department of the Far Eastern Federal District assert. Fourteen new forest fires were spotted in Yakutia during the past three days. Most of them were caused by thunderstorms, officials of the Nature Protection Ministry of the Republic of Saha (Yakutia) reported on Monday. The fires are raging on an area of 953 hectares of forestland. As many as 136 men and more than 20 fire engines are being used to put them out. Officials of the anti-fire services of Yakutia are noting the alarming growth of the number of fires compared to that of 2007. Only eleven fires were recorded in the republic in mid-June of last year, compared to 66 this year.
