11 May 2018 | 09:49 AM UTC
Russia: Forest fires rage on in east May 11
Forest fires in eastern Russia burning over 63,000 hectares of land May 11; firefighting operations ongoing
Event
As of Friday, May 11, approximately 50 forest fires in Russia's eastern regions are ongoing. The fires are currently burning across 63,000 hectares (155,000 acres) of land as of Friday morning (local time), according to the Federal Forest Fire Center. On May 10, more than 90 fires were extinguished and operations involving 2600 firefighters, 500 vehicles, and 40 aircraft are ongoing. The fires have affected the Amur, Far East, Khabarovsk, Trans-Baikal, Krasnoyarsk, Bashkortostan, Buryatia, and Jewish Autonomous regions. A state of emergency was declared in the hardest-hit Amur region.
Advice
Individuals present in affected areas are advised to keep abreast of the situation and to adhere to any orders issued by the local authorities (e.g. potential evacuation orders).