During the holidays in May there is a high risk of forest fires

The Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan, Nail Magdeev, conducted a meeting with heads of subordinate establishments on the territory of the Forest-Fire Center with regard to the readiness of forestries to the fire season. According to the Federal Forestry Agency, as of April 30, all in all, 154 forest fires were registered on the area of 85.2 thousand ha, the majority whereof (66 thousand ha) accounts for the Zabaikalye Territory. As it was earlier stated by the Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation, Sergey Donskoy, warm winter with little snow caused the fire season to start right after the New Year, and as it turned out, the majority of Russian regions weren’t ready for it. Moreover, during the holidays in May there is high risk of expansion of natural fires to the center of Russia and to the Volga Region.

The Operations Headquarters for protection of forests from fires was established in Tatarstan along with the Plan of organizational measures. Five powerful fire and chemical stations of the 3rd type equipped with modern fire-fighting equipment in Vysokaya Gora, Kaybitsy, Leninogorsk, Laishevo and Saby districts are available and ready for the season along with 18 fire and chemical stations of the 2nd type. Teams of the fire and chemical stations have been trained in accordance with the program “Tactics and methods of extinguishing of forest fires”.

 All automotive equipment used for terrestrial state surveillance in forests, including fire safety control in forestries, have been provided with fuel, 203 voluntary fire safety teams have been organized consisting of 609 people who will control forests in compliance with elaborated routes and approved schedules for patrolling of the forest fund.

   In May, it is planned to conduct training with regard to the drill of interaction of forces and means in the course of extinguishing of forest fires in Laishevo forestry. “Today, no forest fires have been registered on the territory of the Republic. Despite the fact that forest fires haven’t been registered for three years in a row, we have no reason to stay calm. Summer is expected to be rainless, so we have to be alerted: in 90 out of 100 cases forest fires are man-induced”, noted the Minister.