Hunters Blamed for Forest Fires in Moscow Region

The spread of forest and peatbog fires continues unchecked so far in the Moscow Region. New fire foci were sighted lately in four districts, the total area of the fires having risen by 11 hectares. Vice-Governor of the Moscow Region Alexei Panteleyev says one of the reasons for the spread of the fires is the violation by the local inhabitants of the ban on entering and driving into forests in fire risk areas.

A. Panteleyev has not ruled out either that part of the new fires may be due to the State Agriculture Regulating Authority having restricted hunting in only four districts of the Region, though the regional administration has banned hunting in the whole of the Region. In this connection, the regional authorities intend to lodge a claim with the regional prosecutor's office and the federal government requesting their support for the resolution of the regional emergency situations commission which suspended hunting on the whole territory of the Moscow Region.