Central Russia has 70 thousand fire fighters - EMERCOM

MOSCOW, April 10 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia's Central Region is getting
prepared for the season of wildfires, Head of the Central Region's centre
of EMERCOM Alexander Kats said.
"WE have prepared groups totalling 70,000 fire-fighters and 12,000
vehicles - they will be working in most peak situations," he told Russia's
Civil Chamber. "We are getting ready for a most complicated variant of a
possible emergency situation."
During past year's summer, Central Russia suffered most from
wildfires. In the Central Federal District's 97 settlements over 1,100
houses burned down and almost 2,500 people were homeless, 28 died,
including three fire-fighters, 77 got injured, including 13 fire-fighters.
That time 66,500 fire-fighters and 11,000 vehicles were involved in
extinguishing fires.
Municipal authorities should organise reserves to be used in similar
situations, Kats said. Besides, "Russia's regions should have necessary
legislation base regulating control for the situation in forests so that
individuals do not enter woods in emergency situations."
EMERCOM monitors the situation on a daily basis.
"We receive results of space monitoring, too," he said.
At the same time, he said, most fires are caused by people.