The taiga forest belt in Russia is important for the climate – not only in Russia. Forest experts warn that the fires have intensified there.
Yakutsk – The severe forest fires in eastern Russia have spread. In the Siberian region of Yakutia, firefighting work was in progress on Wednesday on an area totaling more than 600,000 hectares, as the forest protection authority announced.
This is roughly three times the area of the Spanish Canary Island of Tenerife. The national park with the famous Lena rocks is particularly affected. The authorities in Yakutia have declared a state of emergency. Housing estates are currently not at risk, it said. In remote regions where no people live, the Russian authorities often refrain from firefighting work.
Forests are also currently on fire in numerous other Russian regions. On a total of almost 800,000 hectares, according to the authorities, more than 6,000 people and almost 50 aircraft were in action to extinguish more than 300 fires.
Every year, in the largest country in the world in terms of area, with its taiga forest belt, which is important for the climate, huge stands of trees are on fire. In Yakutia alone, according to the authorities, around six million hectares of forest burned down last year – with a total area of 256 million hectares. Forest experts from Greenpeace complain that the situation with the fires has worsened due to climate change. dpa
