"On Friday, July 9, we sent letters about possible support to 15 districts with the most difficult situation with forest fires. The same evening we received the first application from the administration of the Khangalassky district. Over the weekend, we tried our best to collect all the items on the provided list. Thanks to Arsen Tomsky's post on social media, after which a huge number of our caring countrymen responded, who, for example, assisted in the purchase and delivery of quadrocopters. There is still a number of heavy fire special equipment that cannot be bought in a store, you have to wait for its delivery to Yakutsk," said Anastasia Ammosova, head of the Forest Fires project of Sinet Spark.
Signing of an agreement on the free of charge equipment transportation between the Sinet Spark Charity Foundation and the administration of the Khangalassky district
According to the application of the Khangalassky district, fire pumps, quadrocopters, satellite phones, fire hoses, backpacks “Ermak”, hoes, shovels, protective helmets and respirators were purchased. Also, the “Argon 14” company donated a gasoline generator.
On behalf of the district , the equipment was accepted free of charge by the head of the Unified Duty and Dispatch Service of the Khangalassky district, Dulustan Andreev. After showing his appreciation, he noted that this proposal is especially relevant for their district, where there is an extremely difficult situation with natural fires.
"Compared to last year, we have three times more fires, this is mainly due to the dry summer. We had a range of dry thunderstorms, after which the number of fires increased. All forces are thrown into the fight with fires. More than 250 people work from among the local population, even so-called active forces from the "Avialesookhrana" (forests aviation security)," he said.
The local forestry has all the necessary means to fight the fire. Therefore, the administration of the district will distribute the help from Sinet Spark among the southern villages, in the outskirts of which the fire is raging: villages Kytyl-Djura, Edey, Sinsk, Tit-Ary, and others. According to Dulustan Andreev, thanks to measures that had been provided on time, the fire can be contained.
On the whole, the burning area in Khangalassky district has grown, primarily due to the Lena Pillars National Park, the head of the service believes.
"At first, fires in this area started far from the river bank, at a distance of 10-20 kilometers deep in the forest, and then gradually the fire "came out" to the Lena River. These are hard-to-reach places, a human-being would not get there. These fires were just caused by dry thunderstorms. By the way, these forests also burned in the past and the years before last," concluded Dulustan Andreev.
According to him, two fires were localized in the national park. Since Lena Pillars is a federal territory, therefore, mainly federal forces work here together with employees of the most specially protected natural territory.
According to Sinet Spark, the company is still getting the applications from the districts. After reviewing the applications, all possible assistance will be provided to the districts.