Several fires are underway in the Krasnoyarsk region (Eastern Siberia), affecting some two hundred buildings and causing deaths, local authorities said on Saturday. The fire is spreading to more than 16 inhabited areas, about 200 buildings, several sawmills, a kindergarten, are burning, and “there are already dead people”, said the Ministry of Emergency Situations of this region on Telegram , without specifying the number of victims.
So far, five dead have been counted. Describing the situation as “difficult”, the authorities declared a state of emergency in the region. Authorities say around 300 people and more than 90 vehicles are involved in putting out the fires. “Extinguishing is complicated by weather conditions, high winds accelerate the spread of fires and make it difficult to put an end to them,” the local ministry added.
Unprecedented fires have been ravaging Siberia for several years. In 2021, fires, particularly in eastern Siberia, released 16 million tonnes of carbon (4th highest volume since the start of measurements in 2003), according to the annual European climate report.