State of emergency declared due to forest fires in some regions of Russia

Authorities in the Siberian Republic of Tuva said they had taken the measure as extreme heat, strong winds and dry thunderstorms caused wildfires. The head of the Tuva Republic, Vladislav Khovalyg, said 23 wildfires had been recorded, covering about 1,700 hectares of forest. Most of the fires were in mountainous areas that were difficult to access. The heat is expected to ease in the next few days and some areas will receive rain. However, Khovalyg warned that the wildfires would be at their most serious in July, and called on authorities to step up fire prevention and control.

A similar federal state of emergency has been declared in the Sakha Republic in Russia’s Far East. According to the Emergencies Ministry, 107 forest fires have broken out over an area of ​​more than 331,000 hectares. The ministry also said it was monitoring the situation with drones.