Status: 07/29/2021 12:38 p.m.
More than 100 fires have been blazing in the Siberian forests for months. The elderly in particular suffer from the thick smoke. And the extinguishing work could still take weeks.
By Stephan Laack, ARD-Studio Moscow, currently Cologne
For months, forest fires have raged in Siberia on an area as large as Thuringia. There are over a hundred sources of fire in the remote forest areas, some of which are difficult to access. The situation is particularly dire in the north-eastern Republic of Yakutia.
“There are 144 forest fires on the territory of the republic, with a total area of more than 1.5 million hectares,” says Dmitry Lepichkov, chairman of the Committee for the Protection of Safety for the People of Yakutia. Measures are currently being taken to put out a total of 48 fires over a total of 530,000 hectares.
No all-clear yet
In addition to fire-fighting aircraft, there are also more than 2000 helpers on the ground. They are supported by volunteers from the local population who try to fight smaller fires with fire packs. Fire breaks are made in the forest with bulldozers to stop the fire from spreading.
The prolonged unusual heat spell in the Far East of Russia is one of the reasons for the fires. Environmentalists also complain that many forest fires were triggered by careless behavior, such as campfires or because dry grass was set on fire.
Even if the number of fires has been reduced somewhat in the meantime, Alexandr Agafonow, deputy head of the Federal Forestry Office, does not want to give the all-clear.
Elderly people in particular suffer
“Should the situation worsen, and this is possible because we are not responsible for the heavenly office, another 60 specialists from the forest protection authority will arrive,” says Agafonov. There are currently enough funds available, but the situation is being monitored.
Thick smoke becomes a nuisance, especially for the elderly in the affected regions. “There are problems with the eyes, with the respiratory tract: the cough, the eyes always hurt, you get headaches,” says Yuri Yusubyan from the city of Yakutsk on Russian state television. It is impossible to rest in the evening. “You open the window – there is smoke, you go out into the street – there is smoke. The smoke accompanies us everywhere.”
Extinguishing work could take weeks
In the meantime, the smoke has spread so much that it can also be felt in Irkutsk, thousands of kilometers away, near Lake Baikal. It is not yet clear when the fires will be finally extinguished. This can possibly take weeks.
Forest fires continue to rage in Siberia – Yakutia is particularly hard hit
Stephan Laack, ARD Moscow, July 29, 2021 11:46 am