During January-May, the State Emergency Service recorded more than 15,000 fires in open areas. This is 2.4 times more than in the first 5 months of last year. Among the reasons for the increase in the number of fires are active hostilities and dry weather, which contributes to the spread of fire. Rescuers call on Ukrainians to be careful and not to smoke dry things.
In particular, the State Service for Emergency Situations reports on large-scale forest fires in the Kharkiv Region. For several days, rescuers have been trying to extinguish five large fires in the forest zone of the region. Their reason was the shelling carried out by the Russian military. So far, four out of five fires have been contained.
The total area of these forest fires was 3.3 thousand hectares. 104 people and 32 pieces of equipment were involved in fighting fires. In particular, 72 rescuers and 17 units of fire and rescue equipment of the State Emergency Service, as well as representatives and equipment of forestry.
Fighting fires in open areas is complicated by shelling and the presence of various explosive objects in forests.
“To eliminate the centers of these fires, fire brigades of forestry enterprises, rescuers of the State Emergency Service, fire and adapted equipment are involved. Specialists of the State Emergency Service are forced to work with the risk to their lives from constant shelling, detonation of mines and unexploded ammunition,” the State Emergency Service reports.
Rescuers reminded Ukrainians of the need to follow fire safety rules and the algorithm of actions in case you get into the epicenter of a fire in an open area.
