It is not only in the Mediterranean region that the fire is currently burning, flames are also blazing in Moscow's neighboring region of Ryastan. In the meantime, many thousands of hectares are said to be burning, and the smoke is even spreading to the state capital. Helpers are now being sent there, and a state of emergency is being declared in the region itself.
A state of emergency has been declared in the Ryazan region of Russia because of a series of forest fires. The interim governor of the region east of the capital Moscow, Pavel Malkov, told Telegram on Monday that the measure would help mobilize resources "to protect residents and territory".
According to Malkow, aerial surveillance indicates that up to 9,000 hectares of forest are on fire. The environmental organization Greenpeace, citing satellite images, speaks of at least 11,000 hectares. The Ryazan region is around 160 kilometers east of Moscow. The area in which it is currently burning is around 250 kilometers east of the capital.
Authorities in Ryazan reacted after Moscow reported smoke from the fires had reached the capital. Moscow's city center Moscow's Mayor Sergey Sobyanin visited the affected region on Monday and announced that 8,500 helpers would be sent to fight the flames. According to the regional authorities, 900 firefighters, seven fire-fighting planes and ten helicopters have been deployed so far.
In the midst of an unusually hot summer, large forest fires are affecting many European countries. Scientists blame global warming for this.
