MOSCOW, July 12. /TASS/. The area engulfed by two big wildfires in the Khanty-Mansi (Yugra) autonomous area has more than doubled, from 2,100 to 4,500 hectares, in a span of 24 hours, a spokesman for the Russian emergencies ministry’s regional department, said on Sunday.
“Today’s meeting of the working group on wildfires of Yugra’s emergencies commission yielded a decision to invigorate efforts to localize and put out wildfires. As of 19:00 local time (17:00 Moscow time), two biggest wildfires consumed an area of 1,500 and 3,000 hectares,” it said.
According to previous reports from the area, the wildfires were registered on an area of 2,100 hectares.
In all, twenty-one wildfires are raging in the Khanty-Mansi autonomous area as of now. Four have been localized and two have been extinguished. The firefighting effort involves 446 personnel and 21 vehicles.
