Forest fires sweep Urals region

82 forest fires covering a total of 6,739 hectares were registered in the Urals federal district over the last 24 hours.

Talking to RIA Novosti, people at the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry's information department noted that 32 forest fires over a 206.9-hectare area had been registered in the Sverdlovsk region. 175 fire-fighters, 28 units of special equipment and five aircraft are trying to put out this conflagration.

17 forest fires were registered over an area of 36.3 hectares in the Chelyabinsk region; local fire-fighting operations involve 103 people, as well as 40 units of equipment.

Eight forest fires covering a 5.89-hectare area took place in the Kurgan region; 64 people and 26 special-equipment units are moving to extinguish the blaze.

The Tyumen region (Western Siberia) registered 17 forest fires with a total area of 36.1 hectares; 109 people, 43 units of special equipment, as well as five planes, are involved in fire-fighting operations.

The Khanty-Mansiisk autonomous area registered four large-scale fires with a total area of 6,450 hectares; 118 people, 7 units of special equipment and five planes are involved in fire extinguishing. The living vicinities are out of danger.

The Yamal-Nenets autonomous area registered four forest fires over a four-hectare area in the past 24 hours. 26 fire-fighters, four units of equipment and aircraft have been pitted against the blaze.