Armenian President thanked Russian side for the support in  extinguishing fire in Khosrov Reserve

ArmInfo. In the residence of Armenian President a meeting took place related to the fire in  Khosrov Reserve. 

According to Armenian President's press service, at a meeting  convened by President Serzh Sargsyan, the following issues were  considered: the course of extinguishing a fire that broke out on the  territory of the reserve, proper control over the fire situation in  the republics due to the high temperature established on the  territory of the country, the implementation of preventive measures  to exclude the appearance of new foci, Study of damage to nature and  human settlements, the possibility of restoring the damage. Also, new  measures needed in connection with the current situation were  discussed.

The meeting was attended by the head of presidential staff, the  prosecutor general, ministers of nature protection, emergencies,  agriculture, and a number of other high-ranking officials concerned.

The President was informed that all the necessary measures had been  taken, and at the moment the existing possibilities are sufficient to  solve the problems that have arisen in the reserve during the fire  extinguishing, and that every day there is an intensified daily  monitoring in all dangerous zones.

Sargsyan expressed gratitude to all those people and structures that  fought with fire these days. The Armenian President also expressed  his gratitude to the Russian side for prompt reaction to the request  of the Armenian side to assist in extinguishing the fire.

Following the results of the meeting, the Armenian president  instructed to keep under close supervision the situation and  periodically report on the process of extinguishing the fire.

The IL-76 special dispatch of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of  Russia, who arrived in Armenia yesterday to participate in the  operation to extinguish a fire in the Khosrov Reserve, carried out  three departures from the Yerevan airport of Erebuni to the place of  the fire. The first flight IL-76 performed today at 08.50. According  to some reports, about 700 hectares of juniper woodlands in the  Vayotsor district are now burning near the territory of the Artavan  village and over 1000 hectares of forest in the Khosrov Reserve. The  fires began on August 10 and, due to the hot weather and winds, began  to spread rapidly over difficult terrain. Attempts to cope with the  fire by the Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations, due to very  limited technical capabilities, have not yet been crowned with  success. In connection with this, a request was sent to the Russian  colleagues.

According to the latest information, the fire in the Vayotsor  district is localized.

For one call of IL-76, EMERCOM of Russia can drop more than 42 tons  of water into fires, and also create a barrier strip 800 meters long  and 60 meters wide, with an area of about 50,000 square meters. The  IL-76 is considered one of the largest fire fighting aircraft in the  world. The crew of the Il-76 EMERCOM of Russia is prepared for work  in difficult conditions and has extensive experience in extinguishing  wildfires, has repeatedly participated in the liquidation of  emergency situations on the territory of the Russian Federation and  abroad