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Summer wildfires expected to peak in Russia in next 2-3 weeks — minister

"According to experts’ calculations, the current year is likely to be one of the top ten warmest in the past 30 years," Alexander Kozlov said

MOSCOW, July 10. /TASS/. The summer fire season in Russia is expected to peak in the next two to three weeks, Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov said at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.

"The situation is deteriorating, and, according to Roshydromet’s forecasts (the Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring - TASS), the risk of fires is not going to go down. We are expecting the peak of summer wildfires within two to three weeks. According to experts’ calculations, the current year is likely to be one of the top ten warmest in the past 30 years," Kozlov said.

According to the minister, in addition to the Far Eastern region, fires may break out in the Tomsk, Krasnoyarsk, and Irkutsk Regions as well as in Tuva and the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area in the second half of July and in August.

"Whereas the northern areas used to suffer from wildfires in July, according to the statistics of previous periods, this year, the situation has changed for a month. This happened due to extreme heat and thunderstorms," Kozlov added.