Perilous Times and Climate Change
Russian heatwave kills 5,000 as fires rage out of control
Russia's devastating summer heatwave has cost almost 5,000 lives,
according to officials who conceded yesterday that the state was
struggling to gain control over the worst wildfires in decades.
By Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent
Published: 8:00PM BST 06 Aug 2010
The Telegraph UK
Almost half a million acres are still burning and Nasa images have
shown smoke from the fires visible from space
The ministry for emergencies issued an urgent call for volunteers to
join fire brigades to bolster the fight against the peat and forest
fires raging out of control around Moscow.
Temperatures in Russia have hit records for the time of year on at
least six occasions in recent weeks. Forecasters said there would be no
respite from temperatures above 97F (36C) for at least another week.
Death rates have escalated steadily since the heatwave began, according
to statisticians. “We recorded 14,340 deaths in Moscow in July, that is
4,824 deaths more than in July, 2009,” said Yevgenia Smirnova, an
official from the Moscow registry office.
Firemen are battling to stop the flames encroaching on the capital.
Moscow’s landmarks, including the Kremlin and St Basil’s Cathedral,
were shrouded in a thick, acrid haze. Those workers not ordered to stay
at home wore masks as they struggled through the streets.
As many as 140 flights were cancelled or delayed as visibility at
Moscow’s airports was reduced to 1,148 feet (350 metres). Carbon
monoxide in the city’s air rose to as high as 4.8 times the admissible
maximum level before tapering off slightly as night fell.
The health ministry advised people to stay indoors, limit physical
activity and wear a mask when going outside.
The authorities have warned of the risk of fires reactivating
contamination in an area to the south and west of Moscow that was
affected by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
The risks posed by the fires encompass dozens of sensitive sites built
up in the Soviet era. Military units were mobilised to remove artillery
and missiles from bases around the capital and warnings were issued of
the peril facing Sarov, a closed city that is home to Russia’s nuclear
research headquarters.
The Russian nuclear agency has said that all radioactive and explosive
materials have been removed from the centre and the emergencies
ministry has assured the public it has the situation under control.
President Dmitry Medvedev cancelled his annual holiday in the Black Sea
resort of Sochi and issued despairing advice the morning after his
return. “I woke up this morning, looked out of the window and saw a
monstrous situation,” he said. “We all want this heatwave to pass but
this is not in our hands, it is decided above.”
Almost half a million acres are still burning and Nasa images have
shown smoke from the fires visible from space. The US space agency said
the smoke has at times reached six miles into the stratosphere.