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9 Aug 2022, 12:16

Area of wildfires in Yugra exceeds 84,000 hectares — emergencies officials

Yugra to stay alert for a heightened wildfire danger till August 11

KHANTY-MANSIYSK, August 9. /TASS/. The area of active forest fires in the Khanty-Mansi autonomous area (Yugra) now exceeds 84,000 hectares, the Emergencies Ministry’s regional office said on Tuesday.

"Sixty-five wildfires are still active on an area of 84,082 hectares, with 20 of them localized on an area of 34,760 hectares," the regional emergencies office said in a statement on its website.

That’s an increase from 83,800 hectares reported by local emergencies officials on Monday. There is no immediate danger to localities. Yugra Governor Natalya Komarova has said the area of wildfires increased amid an abnormally hot weather, a lack of precipitation, frequent thunderstorms and gusting winds.

The number of firefighters involved in efforts to extinguish forest fires in the region has been increased to 1,500 people, the Russian Emergencies Ministry reported, and there are several dozens of planes available. Large fires near Nyagan, as well as in the republic’s Oktyabrsky and Sovetsky districts, have been localized, the Russian Emergencies Ministry said.

Yugra will stay alert for a heightened wildfire danger till August 11, the region’s emergencies office warned.

On July 29, the regional authorities introduced special firefighting measures across the region, and on August 2 a state of emergency was declared in the forests due to wildfires. Residents of a large area of Yugra previously complained on social networks about smog and the smell of burning caused by forest fires.