The number of wildfires in Ukraine tripled and their area increased by 40 times in the first half of 2020, Head of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine Mykola Chechotkin has said during a meeting of the service’s board on the results of work in the first half of the year.
“In forests alone the number of wildfires tripled as compared to last year, and their area increased by 40 times. Therefore, prevention of wildfires is a priority task of the State Emergency Service,” Chechotkin said, according to the service’s press service.
Detachments of the State Emergency Service rapidly responded to 50 emergencies and saved 2,694 citizens during rescue and other operations.
The State Emergency Service units liquidated on average 280 wildfires per day. In the Joint Forces Operation area, they helped local authorities to restore 126 houses and clear more than 8,800 explosive devices in the conflict-affected districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
