NOVOSIBIRSK, August 31, (RIA Novosti) - Almost 100 hectares of crops were destroyed in a fire in western Siberia, believed to have started by a stray shell from a nearby tank firing range, a local emergencies spokesperson said.
"During artillery firing crops were destroyed, the preliminary cause is a shell from a tank firing range. The fire destroyed 95 hectares of wheat, with an approximate value of 570,000 rubles ($22,300)," the press spokesperson said.
According to the spokesperson the fire was put out in less than 2 hours, and a further 255 hectares saved by fire fighters, military personnel, farm workers, and police officers who helped tackle the blaze.
