Publication Date August 11, 2010 | Moscow Times

Co-Pilot Putin Helps Put Out Wildfires

Russia
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin fighting forest fires in the Ryazan region on Tuesday from the co-pilot's seat of an amphibious plane. He doused two fires, media reported. Photo: RIA-Novosti, AP
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin fighting forest fires in the Ryazan region on Tuesday from the co-pilot's seat of an amphibious plane. He doused two fires, media reported. Photo: RIA-Novosti, AP

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin took the pilot's seat in the government's fight against wildfires Tuesday, hopping on a firefighting plane to put out two blazes in the Ryazan region...The economic damage caused by the wildfires amounts to about $15 billion, equal to 1 percent of Russia's gross domestic product.