Russia declares state of emergency over wildfires

[AdminOnline]

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has declared a state of emergency in seven Russian regions because of wildfires fuelled by a heatwave.

The death toll from the fires has risen to 40, the ministry of health said.

The Russian emergencies ministry said 500 new blazes had been discovered over a 24-hour period, but most had been extinguished.

Homes have been burnt in 14 regions of Russia, the worst-hit being Nizhny Novgorod, Voronezh and Ryazan.

Nineteen of the 40 deaths recorded were in Nizhny Novgorod, the health ministry said.

The state of emergency was announced in a decree that also restricted public access to the regions affected.

Moscow is again shrouded in smoke from peat and forest fires outside the city.

The fires, caused by record temperatures and a drought, have affected cereal harvests, driving wheat prices up.
Heatwave grinds on

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin saw some of the fire damage for himself in Nizhny Novgorod region last week. On Monday, he held meetings with regional leaders in Moscow to discuss further help for affected communities.

Russians are bracing themselves for another week of high temperatures, with forecasts of up to 40C (104F) for central and southern regions.

Officials also expect stronger winds in some regions, which will fan the flames.

By Sunday night, wildfires were still raging across some 128,000 ha (316,000 acres).

Thousands of people have lost their homes and nearly a quarter of a million emergency workers have been deployed to fight the flames.

Moscow doctors say the elderly and toddlers should wear gauze masks outdoors.

More - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-10836281

[Lipp]

Wildfires - not exactly the kind of thing you'd associate with Russia.