Heavy forest fires in Siberia's Russia destroy 600,000 hectares

Heavy forest fires in Siberia's Russia destroy 600,000 hectares

Wähn heavy forest fires in a Siberian Region of Russia and have already set more than 600,000 hectares of forest on fire, warn local authorities.

emergency in Zabaykalsky Krai

In the eastern Siberia, in the Zabaykalsky Krai area, a nationwide emergency status has been in place since the end of April, reported the Russian news agency TASS. Despite considerable efforts to combat the forest fire breakouts, 49 forest fires continue to burn, the total area of ​​which is more than 629,000 hectares, as the Russian Ministry of Emergency Subvice announced on Wednesday.

effects of the forest fires

Since the beginning of this year, more than 1.4 million hectares of land have been affected by forest fires, according to the figures published on Tuesday of the Russian Federal Agency of Forestry. This is about three times the total area that is affected by fires in the USA and Canada this year.

smoke development and far -reaching consequences

The smoke of the fires spreads over hundreds of miles and forecasts of the Copernicus service, the European climate wall service, show that the smoke could reach Beijing and the Korean peninsula by the coming weekend.

emergency measures in Buryatia

Since April, the forest fires have been proclaimed in the easternmost Siberian regions of Russia. On Tuesday, the Russian Republic of Buryatia declared a regional emergency and closed all access to the forests, as the state news agency Ria Novosti reported. According to the region's forestry authority, there have been 174 forest fires in Buryatia since mid -March, which also borders the Mongolia. 90 % of these fires were caused by negligent human action.

EFFORTS for fire fighting

Over 530 firefighters were sent to combat the fires. There were 22 active fire in the Buryatia region on Tuesday. The forest fire season in Russia began this year earlier than usual, with fires that were already registered in mid -March compared to May in previous years.

climate influences on forest fires

drier and hotter weather in Russia, tightened by climate change, creates ideal conditions that even small fire can quickly spread. A total of more than 2,100 forest fires were registered nationwide this year, as official data from the Russian Federal Service for Air Forest Protection show.