Russia has declared a state of emergency over fires in Krasnoyarsk Krai and the Irkutsk region in Siberia with fumes engulfing an area larger than the European Union.
Approximately three million hectares (30.000 square kilometers) are ablaze throughout mostly Siberia and parts of the Arctic, with the fire also spreading to the Far East, the Siberian Times reported.
The emergency also encompasses Krasnodar Krai and partially the Republic of Buryatia, according to rferl.org.
The fires are destroying permafrost north and south of the Arctic Circle as they burn through the tundra. Permafrost is more than just icy as it sequesters significant amounts of greenhouse gases, especially methane gas, a potent greenhouse gas.
At the same time the alert follows flooding in the Irkutsk region where more than 1,000 people were evacuated on July 29. About 2,000 people were also evacuated in major flooding in the Amur region of Russia's Far East.
Over 470 residential houses in 20 settlements have been affected by floods that restarted on July 27 after heavy rains hit the area.
According to earlier reports, part of the Siberian federal highway was temporarily closed due to flooding, TASS reported.
Twenty-five people have been killed, and seven have gone missing since the first wave of floods started in late June 2019.
The Irkutsk regional town of Tulun has suffered the most damage, with 123 homes flooded in which 449 people lived, 65 of whom were children.
COMMENTS