At least 10 dead in Siberian wildfires

According to the authorities, a criminal investigation has been opened into the fire that broke out in Kemerovo. The region’s governor, Alexander Uss, said after an emergency meeting that the fires that broke out in Krasnoyarsk, including a kindergarten and sawmills, are believed to be caused by unusually high winds. Storms toppled trees and power lines. As a result, “several fires broke out simultaneously in several regions of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.”

The Ministry of Disaster Management in Krasnoyarsk said that now strong winds made the firefighting work more difficult and accelerated the spread of the flames. According to the authorities, hundreds of firefighters and dozens of vehicles were deployed. It was too windy to use firefighting planes. The local authorities declared a state of emergency in the area.

The wind speed in some areas reached 40 meters per second instead of the expected 25 meters per second. The strong winds are expected to last “at least four to six hours,” Governor Oss said. The authorities have asked the neighboring areas for help. However, this “at best will only arrive in a few hours”.

The governor ordered a power cut to part of the area. The only exceptions are basic utilities, gas stations, and water supply systems. Violent fires have been raging in Siberia for years.