Russia increases financing of wildfire prevention - source

MOSCOW, February 6 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia increases financing wildfire
prevention and subsidises purchases of new fire fighting equipment in the
regions, Deputy Head of Russia's Forestry Agency, Rosleskhoz, Evgeny
Trunov said on Thursday.
"During 2011, the government will allocate by 1.5 billion roubles more
than it did over the past year," he said. "Subsidies for new fire fighting
equipment will make five billion roubles."
"Russia's forestry has not received the budgeting of the kind for 20
years now," he added.
According to the current legislations, Russia's regions bear the
responsibility for preserving forests and fire prevention.
The regions will organise special fire prevention authorities to
monitor the situation round the clock, Trunov said.
In 2010, wildfires in Russia, sparked by record-breaking heat and
drought, destroyed one-fifth of the nation's crop as well as homes on
hundreds of thousands of hectares. The fires, which spread for miles and
miles east of Moscow, killed 52 and left more than 3,000 homeless. Smoke
blanketed Moscow and delayed flights. Wildfires in Russia are rare in
populated, farmed areas.