2010 Russian wildfires

The 2010 Russian wildfires,are a series of hundreds of wildfires that broke out in European Russia from late July 2010 to present, due to near-record temperatures and drought in the region.

Timeline

29 July

Smoke in Voronezh

This section requires expansion.

Heavy wildfires in Voronezh.

31 July

The head of EMERCOM, Sergey Shoygu, reported on 31 July 2010 that the fire situation in the seventeen federal subjects of Russia, especially in Vladimir and Moscow Oblasts, may be complicated. He claimed that in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast the velocity of fires was 100 meters per minute, and the fiery air flow tore trees from the root, like a hurricane.

A YouTube video was uploaded, showing a group of men escaping from burning village by driving their car over a burning road. This video was linked to on digg on August 2, 2010.

1 August

On 1 August 2010, the area of the forest fires was 114,000 ha (1,140 km2).

The Central Regional Center MOE Russia website reported that in Moscow Oblast 130 foci of natural fires were detected, covering the area of 880 hectares. Of those, 67 fires covered an area of 178 hectares.

2 August

Smoke of the wildfires over Moscow

According to "Interfax" referring to the head of the National Center for Crisis Management of EMERCOM Vladimir Stepanov, as of 2 August 2010, Russia revealed approximately 7,000 fires in the area over 500,000 ha (5,000 km2). Fire was also burning in fourteen federal subjects of Russia, and on 2 August 2010, officials reported the death of 34 people.

All parts of Moscow, as of Monday 2 August 2010 are shrouded with smoke, with reduced visibility on roads, with a strong smell of fire.

On Monday, 2 August 2010, Vladimir Putin scheduled a meeting with the Governors of Voronezh, Novgorod, Samara, Moscow, Ryazan, and Vladimir Oblasts, as well as the Head of the Republic of Mordovia.

4 August

By 4 August, the wildfires were still burning over 188,525 ha (1,885.25 km2), with the death toll standing at 48. Some major fires burn in areas contiguous to the nuclear research center in Sarov. However Rosatom head Sergey Kiriyenko dismissed apprehension of atomic explosion.

President Dmitry Medvedev cut short his summer break to return to Moscow for an emergency meeting of the national security council to address the crisis. At an international meeting on July 30, amid the ongoing heat wave and wildfires, Medvedev had announced on television that "practically everything is burning. The weather is anomalously hot What's happening with the planet's climate right now needs to be a wake-up call to all of us, meaning all heads of state, all heads of social organizations, in order to take a more energetic approach to countering the global changes to the climate".

Medvedev sacked some of his senior navy officers after one fire destroyed Russian navy equipment. The officers were accused of "incomplete professional responsibility" after several buildings were allowed to burn down and vehicles and equipment destroyed. He suggested anyone who had neglected their duties would be prosecuted.On the same day it was reported that another fire was approaching a major secret nuclear research facility in the city of Sarov.

Environmental groups and opposition politicians suggested firefighting has been slowed down by the Forest Code law passed by the Duma in 2006 at the order of Putin.

5 August

The fires threatened an animal sanctuary for over 1,800 animals, including dogs and retired circus animals such as bears, monkeys, foxes and tortoises on 5 August. Close to 600 fires were still burning in the country, and around 2,000 homes had been destroyed. The President fired several high-ranking military officials after fires burned through a military base.

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(source:wikipedia)