OREANDA-NEWS. The death toll of a forest fire, which had spread to the settlements of the Kiev-controlled part of the Lugansk Region, is five people; nine are hospitalized.

This was announced on July 7 by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. “According to preliminary data, five people died, nine were hospitalized. About 80 summer houses… and 30 residential buildings in the village of Smolyaninovo were destroyed by fire,” the report says.

According to the agency, the fire began on July 6 with the ignition of dry grass and forest in the villages of Oskolonovka and Kapitanovo of the Novoaydarsky District. In the evening of the same day, the fire was localized, but after that, due to strong gusts of wind and high air temperature the fire began to spread in the direction of settlements. In total, 361 people and 85 units of special equipment are involved in firefighting. The evacuation of local residents is carried out.

On July 7, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky held an emergency meeting. The head of state ordered the rescue units of the National Guard and the Armed Forces of Ukraine to be sent to help.