A dozen villages in Russia’s vast Siberia region have been endangered by wildfires, prompting authorities to evacuate some residents. In north-eastern Siberia, 93 active forest fires have burned across 1.1 million hectares of Sakha-Yakutia, officials said, making it the worst affected region of Russia. In the village of Sangar, emergency teams were taking urgent steps to protect a threatened fuel supply facility. Emergency officials prepared to engage a heavy-lift plane to douse the flames. Emergencies minister Yevgeny Zinichev reported that more than 11,000 forest fires have ravaged an area of more than six million hectares so far this year.

Source: Irish Independent August 07, 2021 14:37 UTC