The head of Russias Emergencies Ministry ordered forest fire suppression in the Angara region to a round the clock mode and to strengthen coordination between aircraft and ground forces. At a meeting in Irkutsk Vladimir Puchkov sharply criticized the ineffective organization of the work and demanded faster action especially at the early stage of fires. According to regional authorities there are 25 fires in the region over 51 thousand hectares including in the Baikal Lensky reserve and the Pribaikalsky national park.
The head of Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations ordered that firefighting of forest fires in the Angara region be switched to a round-the-clock mode. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen interaction between aviation and the ground forces grouping, the minister emphasized."We are carrying out firefighting even at night, working in combined groups while ensuring their safety," the head of Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations instructed at a meeting of the emergency commission in Irkutsk.
Vladimir Puchkov said that a serious grouping of forces has been formed in the region and that work needs to be done on its coordination.
"A powerful grouping of forces has already been created in the region. An operational headquarters headed by my deputy Vladimir Stepanov will coordinate the work here. It is necessary to strengthen interaction between aviation and the ground forces grouping," the ministry’s press service quoted the minister as saying.
At the emergency commission meeting, Vladimir Puchkov noted the ineffective use of forces and resources to extinguish forest fires.
"How did you allow fires in protected forests? How did you let it get to this state? Every tree is a value for Russia, for the Irkutsk region. You are obliged to provide coverage; there was a clear weather forecast! We know that a forest fire must be extinguished at the initial stage. We have now made a flyover; where fires passed 5-10 years ago, nature still has not recovered. Let us solve problems in a state-minded way, rather than passing them from one head to another. Let us regroup, submit additional requests to the federal center," Vladimir Puchkov said.
According to Pavel Bezmatyernykh, acting deputy chairman of the government of the Irkutsk region, as of August 14 there are 25 fires in the region covering an area of 51 thousand hectares. About one thousand people and 128 units of equipment are involved in firefighting. In the coming days, the grouping will be increased by 170 people. The fires are active both on forest fund territory and in specially protected areas, which include the Baikal-Lensky Nature Reserve and the Pribaikalsky National Park. In particular, 10 fires are active in specially protected areas over an area of more than 7 thousand hectares, said Oleg Kravchuk, acting minister of natural resources and ecology of the Irkutsk region. As the director of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Reserved Pribaikalsye," Valentin Borodenko, stated, additional forces are needed to extinguish the fires.