Russia battles forest fires
- 12 years ago
ROUGH CUT - NO REPORTER NARRATION
Wildfires continued to rage in Siberia on Saturday (July 28), covering regional cities with a thick cloud of smoke, and forcing air traffic to re-route.
In western Siberia's Tomsk region 8,300 hectares of forest were on fire, causing such poor visibility that the Tomsk airport was shut down.
Local residents complained the smog caused throat and respiratory problems.
On Friday (July 27) Russian Emergencies Ministry officials reported that forest fires had already destroyed 37,000 acres of Siberian forest, with the raging fires classified at the highest emergency level for the 70th day in a row.
Firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze, working on foot in forests, and dumping water on burning patches of forest from planes.
On Saturday (July 28), with a slight improvement in weather conditions, helicopters were sent in to fight the blazes.
In some areas of Russian Siberia this summer is considered the hottest in 170 years of observations.
Wildfires continued to rage in Siberia on Saturday (July 28), covering regional cities with a thick cloud of smoke, and forcing air traffic to re-route.
In western Siberia's Tomsk region 8,300 hectares of forest were on fire, causing such poor visibility that the Tomsk airport was shut down.
Local residents complained the smog caused throat and respiratory problems.
On Friday (July 27) Russian Emergencies Ministry officials reported that forest fires had already destroyed 37,000 acres of Siberian forest, with the raging fires classified at the highest emergency level for the 70th day in a row.
Firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze, working on foot in forests, and dumping water on burning patches of forest from planes.
On Saturday (July 28), with a slight improvement in weather conditions, helicopters were sent in to fight the blazes.
In some areas of Russian Siberia this summer is considered the hottest in 170 years of observations.