(Source: http://news.yellow-page.com.ua)

Moscow dwellers will not be allowed to use barbecues, braziers and grills to cook food on the streets outside of specially allocated places.

As the head of Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Moscow Anton Kulbachevsky said, in Moscow was passed a law that regulates the administrative responsibility for making fires, usage of barbecues and other appliances for cooking with an open flame outside of special sites in natural and green areas. The ban was caused by increased number of picnic sites in specially protected natural areas, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Tuesday at city government meeting.

According to him, it requires additional fire protection facilities during fire hazard season. According to Kulbachevskiy the main fire and inflammation causing factors are violation of fire safety rules and the lack of effective legal regulations in the field of fire safety in natural areas. Head of the department said in 2011 there happened 42 fires on the area of 5.3 ha, in 2012 - 20 fires (20.56 ha) and in 2013 - 21 fires (0.12 ha) in natural green areas and in specially protected zones. Kulbachevsky believes the new ban will increase the safety at picnic sites.

Now, the fire safety rules contain a refined concept of "specially equipped site." It implies a territory free of afforestation, within not less than two meters away from the grass cover, equipped with information shield, firefighting equipment (shovel, bucket and sand tank) as well as with the dumpster for collecting garbage and a separate tank for collecting coal.

According to the head of the department, in 2014 the number of picnic areas exceeded two hundred, while in 2011 in Moscow there were only 66. Violators of the new rules can face an administrative fine from 3 to 4 thousand rubles for individuals, from 20 to 30 thousand rubles for officials and from 150 to 200 thousand rubles for legal persons. If the violation is committed in the specially protected natural areas, the penalty will be higher: for individuals from 4 to 5000 rubles; for officials from 30 to 40 thousand rubles and for legal entities from 200 to 300 thousand rubles.