MOSCOW, November 11. /TASS/. This year’s losses to the Russian forest industry due to fires are estimated at 7 bln rubles ($116 mln), according to recent data, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov told TASS, adding that final figures would be provided in early 2023.
As of the end of August, losses were estimated at 3.8 bln rubles ($62 mln). "Given the figures for November, it (the loss - TASS) stands at around 7 bln rubles. The final figures for 2022 will be summed up only in the first quarter of 2023," the minister said.
The area affected by forest fires has gone down several-fold this year, particularly due to an increase in financing for fire fighting efforts, he noted. "The area of fires across the country has decreased more than three times in 2022. Last year it totaled almost 10 mln hectares, whereas this year it equaled 3.5 mln [hectares]," Kozlov said.
Head of the Federal Agency for Forestry Ivan Sovetnikov told TASS that the forest fire season now lasts throughout the year in Russia. "Unfortunately, since the beginning of the active season in March we have only had one or two days without any fires at all. A situation where 1-2 fires are registered is expected until December. <…> Last year, the last fire occurred on December 29, while the first fire this year was on January 3," he explained.
In 2021, the loss from forest fires amounted to 8.4 bln rubles.