VLADIKAVKAZ. Aug 8 (Interfax-AVN) - The 58th joint-arms army has set up special fire-fighting units to assist local authorities in southern Russia in extinguishing forest fires, a spokesman for the army command told Interfax-Military News Agency on Thursday.
"The establishment of composite units consisting of 15 to 20 people is completed in formations of the army. The units are provided with vehicles for delivering water to fire epicenters, offroaders for the transportation of personnel involved in elimination of emergencies' consequences and other assets," the spokesman said.
"Fire-fighting units will get down to work immediately if a fire occurs less than 5km from military units and military installations," the spokesman stressed.
An order to set up fire-fighting units was given by the North Caucasus military district headquarters. The district's commander has also ordered establishment of an operational group to supervise fire-fighting measures.
In compliance with a directive from General Staff, the district's commander instructed the unified federal group in the North Caucasus, 4th Air Force and Air Defense Army, Caspian Flotilla and Novorossiysk naval base, the commander of the 7th airborne division, military commissioners of republics, territories and regions and chiefs of garrisons located in the military district to establish interaction with civil defense and emergencies bodies and local administrations.
"In order to provide urgent aid in extinguishing forest fires, needed forces and means will be immediately provided by military units," the spokesman stressed.