Update issued on Urals forest fires
Forest fires threatening residential areas in Russia’s Kurgan Region have been put out thanks to the efforts of over 1,200 firefighters, the Emergencies Ministry reported on Wednesday.
“As of May 10, 2023, all wildfires that previously threatened the settlements of the region have been extinguished,” the ministry’s press service said.
Firefighters are still putting out flames in several villages in the suburbs of Kurgan and are working to fully quell several other forest fires in the area, the statement added. The ministry reported that over 20,000 residential buildings as well as 214 critical infrastructure facilities have been spared any damage.
Several districts in Kurgan Region, located along Russia’s border with Kazakhstan in the Urals, have declared a state of emergency since late April due to an outbreak of large-scale wildfires. On Sunday, the state of emergency was extended to the entire region.
The fires are believed to have destroyed over 500 residential buildings and more than 4,700 structures, including private country homes, according to sources in the emergency services cited by TASS. It is also estimated that 21 people have been killed in the fires, while another 13 have been injured. The source shared concerns that the death toll could still rise.
Emergencies Ministry head Aleksandr Kurenkov has personally traveled to the region to oversee firefighting efforts, and has reported on progress directly to President Vladimir Putin. According to Kurenkov, the Russian leader has promised that the government will provide support to any victims of the disaster.
