IRKUTSK. July 31 (Interfax-AVN) - The French government on Thursday officially requested Russia's Irkut aircraft corporation (based in Irkutsk) to send its planes to France to help combat fires in southern districts.
"France has requested several planes. Fires are raging in southern France, destroying eucalyptus forests on the Riviere. Deaths have already been reported," Irkut President Alexei Fyodorov has told Interfax.
He announced that the company management is considering France's request and will most probably send its planes to France shortly.