Ude, Jumada II 5, 1433, Apr 26, 2012, SPA -- Seven forest fires are raging on 2,400 hectares in the Trans-Baikal Territory, a source in the emergency situation department in the Trans-Baikal Territory told Itar-Tass on Thursday. The largest fire is raging in the Mogochinsky district. The fire ripped through 1,000 hectares of taiga for one day, but it is localized now. Two major fires were also localized in the Uletovsky district on 350 hectares and in the Khiloksky district on 640 hectares. "All three major forest fires are burning far from the villages and settlements and do not pose a threat to people," the source said. Over 420 wildfires were reported on 99,000 hectares from the beginning of spring in the Trans-Baikal Territory. Deputy head of the Federal Forestry Agency Yevgeny Trunov noted that the group of about 400 people, including over 260 professional paratroopers from other Russian regions, was formed to fight steppe and forest fires in the Trans-Baikal Territory in April. "This is an unprecedented case, because such fire-fighting forces were not gathered in any region before," he said in Chita. The paratroopers already began to leave the Trans-Baikal Territory, "therefore, the main task of the territorial authorities of all levels is to avert forest fires." "The weather forecast is very unfavorable, a high fire hazard will be reported in all districts of the Trans-Baikal Territory in next few days," he said. He noted that open water sources did not unfreeze and low night air temperatures do not allow using the aviation to fight the fires.
