Big fire at Pacific Fleet arsenal

The evacuation of the inhabitants of the Vtoraya Rechka residential area of Vladivostok in connection with a big fire at the Fleet's arsenal began on the order of the head of the city's administration. The personnel of the enterprises adjacent to the arsenal is being simultaneously evacuated, too, officials of the administration of Vladivostok (the administrative centre of the Maritime Territory in the Far East) said.

According to the Maritime Territory directorate of the fire-fighting service, "intensiveness of the explosions of shells increased" at the arsenal, "which hampers the struggle against fire". "Shot shells fly in different directions, and their bursts cause local ignitions on the surrounding dry mounds," the directorate officials said.

Chief of the Maritime Territory directorate of the fire-fighting service General Valentin Alexandrov is making flights on a helicopter over the territory of the arsenal to reveal from the air new seats of ignition. The information from the helicopter is promptly transmitted to the ground.

The fire at the arsenal flared up on Wednesday.