Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday ordered regional officials to do more to fight fires in Siberia. They have been raging there for several weeks, and at least eight people have died and hundreds of buildings have burned down last weekend alone.
Putin warned that last year’s fires, which were the largest in Russia’s history, should not be repeated. “I would like to point out in particular that we cannot allow the situation of last year to be repeated, when forest fires have become the longest and most intense in the last few years,” he said.
“We need to fight fires more effectively, systematically, consistently and improve the quality and level of all types of prevention,” he added.
In an online meeting broadcast on state television, Putin said fires cause considerable material damage and are life-threatening. But so is the environment and the economy.
So far this year, 4,000 forest fires have been recorded on 270,000 hectares, Putup’s incumbent Minister of Emergency Situations Alexander Chuprian told Putin. This is about the same size as Luxembourg.
This year’s fires have already claimed almost 20 victims
So far, devastating fires have claimed at least 16 victims. Eight people died on Saturday in fires that engulfed hundreds of buildings in several Siberian villages, with strong winds blocking efforts to put out the flames. Putin said the fires damaged 700 homes that needed to be repaired.
„[Lesy sú] ecological shield of our country and the whole planet. They play a key role in absorbing global greenhouse gas emissions, which means that large-scale fires are undermining our efforts to save the climate. It is a major problem for the whole world, for our country, “Putin said.
Russia is the world’s fourth largest polluter and a major exporter of fossil fuels, the burning of which is a major cause of climate change. According to an analysis by the Australian Institute, Russia is responsible for more carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel exports than any other country in the world.
According to Greenpeace, the fire season in 2021 was the largest in Russia’s history, when fires destroyed 18.8 million hectares of forest. The fires spread rapidly as temperatures in Siberia, which scientists associate with man-made climate change, rose sharply.