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Changing wind drives smoke from forest fires off Yakutsk

Тhe city was covered by a blanket of smoke from forest fires reported at a distance of 400 to 600 kilometers southeast Yakutsk

VLADIVOSTOK, August 3 (Itar-Tass) —— The air over the city of Yakutsk has somewhat cleared from smoke from forest fires as the wind changed its direction on Friday, a spokesman for the local emergencies administration told Itar-Tass.

On Thursday, the city was covered by a blanket of smoke from forest fires reported at a distance of 400 to 600 kilometers southeast Yakutsk. The smog stayed from throughout the day.

Meanwhile, it is expected that smoke from wildfires will affect settlements in the Amginsky, Churapchinsky, Mirninsky, Khangalassky, Gorny, Ust-Aldansky, Ust-Maisky, Lensky, Vilyuisky, and Namsky districts. There is no threat to settlement and industrial facilities, the spokesman stressed.

As of now, sixteen forest fires are registered on an area of 2,344 hectares in Yakutia. On Thursday, two fires on an area of 165 hectares were contained. Since the beginning of this year’s wildfire season, a total of 307 forest fires were reported in the republic on an overall area of 114,155 hectares.