Major Siberian cities choking from wildfire smoke
22 July 2019 (The Siberian Times) – Krasnoyarsk and Novosibirsk are suffering smoke pollution and infernos rage in forests after hot, dry weather.
Pictures show the scale of the smoke in major population centres from the raging wildfires with the cause seen mainly as out-of-control forest fires in Krasnoyarsk region, the second largest in Russia.
In Krasnoyarsk city, residents have been told by health officials to go outside only if really necessary.
Here watchdog Rospotrebnadzor confirmed the hygienic standard in the air of the PM 2.5 particles is exceeded by between 1.2 and 2.3 times.
Sensors installed by activists on Saturday showed a ‘dangerous excess of the maximum permissible concentrations’.
Dust, soot and other small particles are shown as present in the air.
On Saturday morning, the MPC values ranged from 42 to 74, with the safe value of 25 units.
Later the sensors showed readings from 221 to 344.
The limited visibility and smell of burning is observed in all districts of Krasnoyarsk, and in villages and towns in the vast region, for example, Lesosibirsk and Achinsk. […]
According to the Federal Service Avialesokhrana on 21 July, some 492,750 hectares of forests are ablaze in Krasnoyarsk region and only 28,366 are being extinguished. […]
As of the morning of 21 July, 86 forest fires are registered in Irkutsk region.
The total area of burning forests is 217,418 hectares. [more]
