Russia Aflame
7/20/99
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: Russia Aflame
Source: Pacific Environment and Resources Center
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: July 20, 1999
RUSSIA AFLAME. On 16 July, Russia broke the record for the number of
forest fires occurring on a single day, "Kommersant-Daily" reported on
17 July. On that day, 763 new fires were registered --typically about
100-130 occur within 24 hours. According to the daily, from the
beginning of the so-called fire season to the middle of July 20,000
fires were recorded, causing an estimated 2 billion rubles ($82
million) worth of damage. During the same period last year, which was
considered a particularly bad year for forest fires, 14,500 fires had
occurred. The regions hardest hit are in the Far East and Northwest.
So far, the fires have barely affected residential dwellings, but some
neighborhoods in cities such as St. Petersburg and Moscow have been
wrapped in a thick smog caused by smoke from nearby fires. On 13 July,
Krasnoyarsk Krai Governor Aleksandr Lebed declared a state of
emergency because of the rapid spread of fires in his region.
JAC
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