Climate - Forest fires in Siberia on over one million hectares
The devastating forest and terrain fires in Sibiria, particularly in the region of Jakutia, have spread over an area of more than one million hectares according to official reports. The Civil Defense Ministry in the capital Jakutsk reported that over 130 individual fires were burning in the region. Around 2000 people were engaged in ground and air firefighting efforts. The ministry also released a video of a firefighting aircraft dropping tonnes of water over the burning forests.
According to the Civil Defense Ministry's statement, 52 settlements were struggling against smoke haze from the fires. Air samples were being taken in two cities and two villages where limit values had been exceeded. However, there had been no reported cases of smoke poisoning yet.
Since weeks, a state of emergency exists in the region in northeastern Russia due to the forest fires. In the largest land area on Earth, fires were also burning in many other regions. The extensive forest and terrain fires in the Arctic region have caused massive smoke development in recent weeks. Several cities have sunk in smog.
Scant rainfall and dry thunderstorm fronts
Russia fights fires every year, during which large areas of forest and steppe are destroyed. The Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS) of the European Union named high temperatures and less rainfall than usual in the affected region, a part of the Russian republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Copernicus data shows up to seven degrees more than the long-term average (1991-2020) and extreme drought in the area.
The Russian forest firefighting unit Avialesookhrana reported that due to dry thunderstorm fronts, new natural fires could break out. The flames were spreading due to strong winds and the lack of rainfall. In particularly remote areas, the units often forego firefighting efforts due to personnel and cost reasons.
- The Civil Protection Ministry in Yakutsk, Russian Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), is closely monitoring the ongoing forest fires in Siberia, given the potential risks to both the environment and local communities.
- The lack of rainfall and the occurrence of dry thunderstorm fronts have exacerbated the situation, making it challenging for the firefighting units in Russia to contain the area fires.
- The climate change-induced extreme drought in Siberia has made it difficult for the Jakutian forest to withstand the encroaching wildfires, leading to significant damage to the region's natural flora and fauna.
- Authorities in Russia have been urging residents in affected areas to apply for emergency assistance, as the harsh Arctic climate and remote location of some settlements have hindered timely firefighting operations.
- Forest fires are a recurring issue in Russia, with the vast Siberian terrain often becoming a battleground for civil protection forces as they struggle to contain these wildfires before they cause further harm to the environment and local infrastructure.
- With the fires extending to numerous regions in Siberia, the Russian government is working closely with international organizations, such as the European Union's Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS), to gather valuable data and insights about the fires' impact and potential mitigation strategies.
