Fiery response: the number of forest fires has increased tenfold in Russia
73 forest fires have already been recorded in Russia, covering an area of about 75.8 thousand hectares, the Federal Forestry Agency told Izvestia. The most difficult situation is in the Trans—Baikal Territory, in Buryatia and the Jewish Autonomous Region. A year ago, at the same time, eight forests were burning across the country. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the spring fire season came a month earlier in the Central, Volga and Far Eastern Federal Districts. The peak will be at the beginning of May, when many Russians will go to the countryside to roast kebabs, experts warned.
Where are the forests burning now
Currently, 73 forest fires are being extinguished in Russia on an area of about 75.8 thousand hectares, Alexey Venglinsky, deputy head of the Federal Forestry Agency, told Izvestia.
— We have already introduced a state of emergency in three regions — in the Trans-Baikal Territory, in one district of the Republic of Buryatia and in two districts of the Jewish Autonomous Region. The forest fire situation in Transbaikalia is tense, but it is under the control of the department," he said.
Forest fires have already been recorded in at least 23 regions of Russia: in just a week, about 270 fires were extinguished in them, according to data from the Aviation Security Service. Most of the forest fires were eliminated in the Trans-Baikal, Primorsky, Krasnoyarsk, Khabarovsk Territories, the Republic of Buryatia, Amur, Irkutsk, Tomsk, Novosibirsk regions, and the Jewish Autonomous Region.
The fire season has started in 69 regions, representatives of the service noted. 28 of them have a special fire protection regime. Access to the forest is prohibited for the duration of its operation.
Since the beginning of the year, more than 680 forest fires have been eliminated in the country on a total area of over 178 hectares, which is significantly higher than last year, said Alexander Kurenkov, head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, at a meeting with the president on Monday, April 14.
For example, a year ago, on the same dates, according to the Aviation Security Service, eight forest fires were extinguished in four regions. A special fire protection regime was in effect only in 16 regions, and an emergency regime was in effect in the Jewish Autonomous Region.
— I would like to focus separately on the situation with forest fires in the Trans-Baikal Territory. An emergency regime in regional forests has been introduced throughout the territory since April 7. Currently, this region accounts for almost 60% of the area of all forest fires registered in the country since the beginning of the year," added Alexander Kurenkov.
The situation in the Trans-Baikal Territory has already required reinforcements. 230 parachutists and paratroopers from the Komi Republic, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, Irkutsk Region and Yakutia were sent to the region. Firefighters from the Volga and Krasnoyarsk branches of the Federal Aviation Security Service were additionally sent to the region.
Currently, 46 forest fires are being extinguished in the region on an area covered by fire of 48.5 thousand hectares.
It was the Trans-Baikal Territory that the head of the Federal Forestry Agency, Ivan Advisers, called the main failure of 2024 in an interview with Izvestia. Noting that the area of fires there exceeded 2 million hectares, whereas on average it was 40-50 thousand hectares. As a result, the Minister of Natural Resources was replaced in the region, recalled Advisers.
— I would like to remind you that the main cause of spring forest fires is the violation of fire safety rules by the population and the transfer of fire from other categories of land to the forest fund. Therefore, I urge everyone to be attentive and follow the safety rules," said Alexey Venglinsky.
What forests will burn
In late winter and early spring of this year, the middle part of Russia faced a climatic anomaly, when the air temperature was quite high and the snow almost completely melted, Konstantin Kobyakov, head of flora conservation projects at the Nature and People Foundation, recalled.
— This has already indicated that there will be a very dangerous spring. The recent cold snap has slightly delayed the high fire danger for the middle lane. But in some places it still managed to flare up. For example, in the Pskov and Smolensk regions, the fire has already covered an area two to three times more than in the whole of last year," he noted.
The spring fire season has arrived a month earlier in the Central, Volga and Far Eastern districts, said Alexander Kozlov, head of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, at a meeting with the president. According to him, this is due to the lack of snow in winter. It is expected that the peak of fire danger will be at the end of April – beginning of May, the minister predicts.
— The previous three years relaxed us a little, because they were quite calm in terms of fire. The figures were below average," Konstantin Kobyakov added. — It is clear that with our climate, this could not last long enough.
So far, the fire areas are less than average, he reassured.
— There is no fire disaster, — the expert assured.
He called May the most difficult month — long holidays are superimposed on the warm weather.
— Many people go out into nature, burn bonfires, roast kebabs, so there is a high probability that someone will set something on fire. And it's very important what the weather will be like at that moment. So far, the forecast says it will be quite sunny," he stressed. — It is necessary to prepare especially for the May holidays and observe the rules of fire safety.
Will the weather contribute to fires
Very hot weather is forecast for April in the European territory of the country, Roman Vilfand, scientific director of the Hydrometeorological Center, reminded Izvestia.
— At the same time, April is not the most fire-prone month yet. But there are already territories where the combination of temperature and humidity leads to the risk of wildfires," he noted.
So far, there are no regions in the European part of the country where a high or extreme fire danger class is predicted in the coming days, the expert added.
— However, there are places in the south of Western Siberia where there is a high class of fire danger. First of all, this is the Altai Territory, where the temperature has been not just high, but extremely high in recent days," Roman Vilfand explained. — Over the weekend, the air temperature in some areas exceeded 30 degrees. The July temperature is in the first half of April.
There are no conditions for fires, but nature will not prevent a fire if it occurs as a result of accidental or intentional arson, the expert said. According to him, a decrease in temperature is predicted, which will improve the situation.
— Already on Thursday and Friday, the fire danger class will decrease there, - he noted.
In addition, high temperatures and a lack of precipitation are predicted in the Trans-Baikal Territory. A decrease in temperature there can be expected only in the second half of the week.
— There will be a high fire hazard class until April 18 inclusive in the continental regions of Primorsky Krai. There is wind and precipitation on the coast," Roman Vilfand explained.
An extreme fire hazard class is not yet predicted, according to him. Currently, three-quarters of the country is still covered with snow, but by the end of the week, thanks to the June temperatures, most of the European territory of the country will be free of snow, Roman Vilfand predicts.
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