Aerial Forest Protection Service (Russia)

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The Aerial Forest Protection Service (Russian: Федеральное бюджетное учреждение «Центральная база авиационной охраны лесов „Авиалесоохрана“», or in its acronym Авиалесоохрана, or Avialesookhrana)^[1] is a Russian government agency charged primarily with the aerial management of forest fires. It is considered a branch of the Russian Federal Forest Service.^[2] It is famous for the creation and use of smoke jumpers; paratroopers who drop using parachutes down into villages in the path of the fire to warn residents and to provide them with help in evacuation procedures. Smoke jumpers also jump directly into forest fires to help the officials in extinguishing the fires.^[3] Until 2007, the Avialesookhrana was the only Russian organization charged with handling forest fires. They are also credited with helping the Republic of Mongolia and Cuba create their own forest-fire prevention agencies.^[4]