A fire broke out on the island of Khortytsia this weekend amid the heat wave, covering 4 hectares. In total, 331 natural fires occurred in Ukraine over the past day on an area of almost 314 hectares. This was reported by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine on Monday, UNN reports.
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"Fire on Khortytsia Island. This weekend, dry grass, reeds and shrubs burned there over a total area of 4 hectares," the State Emergency Service said on social media.
As noted, the personnel reached the fire site by boat. "It was not possible to use the main firefighting equipment in the area that has no land connection. In some areas, rescuers used all-terrain vehicles," the SES said.
Firefighters reportedly used motorized pumps, backpack fire extinguishers and improvised means. "They managed to extinguish individual fires to prevent the spread of the fire," the SES said.
Rescuers also reported that they had saved a small roe deer during a fire on Khortytsia Island. "It was lying almost helpless in the grass. The guys gave her water and poured it over her and handed her over to the reserve workers. There, it will receive proper care and after full recovery, the animal will be released into the forest," the SES said.
"Over the past day, 331 fires broke out in Ukraine's natural ecosystems, covering a total area of 313.91 hectares. The leader among the regions with the most fires was Dnipropetrovs'k region - 67 fires covering 55.44 hectares, Odesa region - 61 fires (46.70 hectares), Kharkiv region - 28 fires (15.41 hectares), Kyiv region - 25 fires (8.28 hectares), and Kirovohrad and Mykolaiv regions, where 22 fires occurred, covering 5.89 hectares and 78.1 hectares, respectively," the SES said.
The agency noted that Ukraine is currently experiencing an extraordinary level of fire danger. "Therefore, it is forbidden to visit forests, let alone make fires!" - the SES emphasized.