104 culprits of forest fires identified in Transbaikalia

In Transbaikalia, 104 perpetrators of fires have been identified since the beginning of the fire season. Of these, 82 cases were arson attacks on grass, and another 22 cases were in forests. These figures were announced by Acting Minister of Natural Resources Pavel Volzhin during a press conference on Friday, July 4.

"We have repeatedly found empty cans and fuel bottles, various piles of wood - we have recorded all these cases, the materials have been transferred to the police and the FSB," the official said, quoted by ChitaMedia news agency.

Volzhin expressed the hope that the relevant authorities would sort out the information received.

As the acting minister noted, 8.6 thousand patrols have been conducted since the beginning of the fire-hazardous period. The inspectors identified 557 violations and drew up 376 protocols, of which 46 were reviewed. Six criminal cases have been initiated.

Since the beginning of 2025, almost 3 million hectares of forest have been burned in the Trans-Baikal Territory. Almost 90% of fires are caused by humans. The damage from forest fires has already exceeded 3 billion rubles.