Russia is facing “a difficult situation” with forest fires due to “unusual” heat, mainly in an area near Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said today.
“Due to adverse weather conditions, the situation is difficult in many regions of the European part of the country,” Putin said during an online meeting with regional officials on forest fires.
“These are mainly forest fires in Ryazan province,” which is located about 250 kilometers east of Moscow, with smoke often reaching the Russian capital, he said.
According to local emergency services, forest fires have destroyed more than 117,000 hectares in Ryazan province, with daily temperatures exceeding 31 degrees Celsius combined with strong gusts of wind.
More than 9,500 rescuers and firefighters have rushed to the area to tackle the fire, as well as eight special aircraft and seven helicopters, the province’s interim governor Pavel Malkov said at the same meeting.
“It’s a very tough test,” he complained, stressing that there has been no “rainfall and we don’t expect any soon.”
Malkov, however, appeared confident that the fires “will be brought under control within two or three days and will be completely extinguished in a week or two.”
Last week, smoke from these fires covered part of Moscow. On Monday, smoke and the smell of burning could be felt in many districts of the Russian capital.
Moscow authorities have sent 8,500 men to Ryazan province to put out the fire, in addition to the 1,000 firefighters and rescuers already mobilized.
“Smoke periodically blankets Moscow, but today the situation is more under control,” the city’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, commented today.
In recent years, large forest fires have been breaking out in Russia, mainly in Siberia and the Far East, vast areas to which access is often difficult.
Source: RES-MPE
Source: Capital
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