Forest Fires Rage in Russia's Far Eastern Reserve

More than 40,000 hectares of the Hingan nature reserve in the Amur region, Russia's Far East, are burning.

The reports that the nature reserve had caught fire came on Monday, the Nature Ministry's state control department for the Far East, told RIA Novosti Thursday. Fire was raging on some 100 hectares of forestland and other area on Monday. As many as a total of over 40,000 hectares were wrapped in fire by Thursday.

On fire are forests and fenlands, which are home to rare birds of passage.

22 men and 2 bulldozers are engaged in extinguishing the fires. Department experts say the team of fire-fighters has to be reinforced.