Russia declares fire emergencies
By SOPHIA KISHKOVSKY
Published: August 2, 2010 MOSCOW — President Dmitri A. Medvedev on Monday declared a state of emergency in seven regions as forest and peat bog fires raged across Russia, killing dozens and leaving thousands homeless in a heat wave that has badly hurt Moscow and many other parts of the country. Moscow was engulfed in smog Monday, with some of the worst fires in the surrounding area and the nearby regions of Ryazan, Vladimir and Nizhny Novgorod. Fires were being fought in 14 regions, stretching to the Urals Mountains and beyond, including Kamchatka in the far east. The temperature in Moscow reached nearly 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) last week and could climb to that level later this week, experts said, as Russians suffer through a second month of record-breaking heat. In Moscow, shorts have become the clothing of choice. Street vendors hawk water and soft drinks at stands with half-empty refrigerators. Electric fans are practically impossible to find in stores, and air conditioners have jumped in price. Mr. Medvedev’s emergency declaration restricts movement and activity in the affected areas and calls for the military to help fight the fires. According to the declaration, the regional authorities are granted the right to determine the length of the state of emergency. As of Monday evening, 40 people had died in the fires, the Ministry of Health and Social Development reported. Nearly 2,000 homes have been destroyed and more than 2,200 people left homeless, the official RIA Novosti news agency said. Sergei K. Shoigu, the emergency situations minister, said that 620 fires had been extinguished but that 580 were still burning. …
Russia Declares Fire Emergencies
MOSCOW (AFP) – Forest fires in Russia’s Far East region covered 100,000 hectares, an official at the region’s forestry department said Sunday. In the last 24 hours, forest fires in the sparsely-populated region have grown three times in size, the ITAR-TASS news agency reported, citing the forestry department. The emergency ministry said Saturday that forest fires had covered more than 120,000 hectares over the whole of Russia. 238,000 firefighters were deployed in 14 regions, along with 25,000 vehicles and 226 aircraft, the ministry said.
Russia fires cover 100,000 hectares 
By Gregory White
Aug. 2, 2010, 4:50 PM Brush fires are burning throughout Russia right now, as the country comes to grips with a heat wave that has dried out fields and led to the destruction of homes and lives. But the fires and heat have also destroyed this year’s wheat crop, sending prices surging. Prices have risen faster than anytime since 1973, according to the Financial Times, with a 50% price increase since June. And it’s all about the drought in Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. The problems can also be found in Canadian fields, though that is a result of too much rain, rather than too little. Note: Note the increase from the beginning of July, until now.
