Where once were homes
Source: Agencies |
August 4, 2010, Wednesday
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Print Edition
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Some of the devastating wildfires sweeping western Russia are out of control, Russia's emergency chief said yesterday, as fears grew there were not enough firefighters to cope with them.
Tens of thousands of troops and volunteers were helping some 10,000 firefighters battle blazes in more than a dozen western Russian provinces, seven of which were under a state of emergency.
Their efforts had saved more than 300 towns and villages from destruction in the past 24 hours, Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu said.
"But in some places it is getting out of control," Shoigu was quoted as telling President Dmitry Medvedev during a meeting near the southern city of Sochi.
The fires have killed at least 40 people so far and destroyed nearly 2,000 homes, as they tore through hundreds of villages in a matter of minutes, taking locals by surprise.
The ministry criticized local officials for not doing enough to stem the blazes, despite Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warning earlier that those who did not respond adequately risked losing their jobs.
Responsibilities
"Everyone must realize the measure of their responsibility," said Vladimir Stepanov, head of the Emergencies Ministry's crisis center. Municipal authorities "must mobilize all their forces, not just sit and wait for fire brigades to arrive," he said.
The weather this week will not likely help the effort, as temperatures in Moscow and to the south and east were forecast to reach 38 degrees Celsius.
Putin said yesterday he would personally supervise the reconstruction of fire-ravaged homes via video cameras to be installed at each construction site, and would broadcast the images on the government's website.
Putin has promised new housing before winter for those made homeless, as well as 200,000 rubles (US$6,700) in compensation.
"It was a nightmare," said Margarita Sholokhova, pacing forlornly near the remains of her home in the village of Kadanok, situated some 150 kilometers southeast of Moscow.
"There were too many fires and not enough firefighters. We stayed in our house until the last possible minute, but the fire came and covered the whole village like a hat," she said.
Wiped out
Four brick walls and a heavy iron stove were all that remained of her modest provincial house after wildfires swept through Kadanok three days ago.
Her mother's house next door was also among the dozen homes wiped out in the town, but a dozen others escaped damage.
Trenches are being dug and trees felled around several nuclear facilities, news agencies reported.
At the Russian Federal Nuclear Center in Sarov, 485 kilometers east of Moscow, fire reportedly breached the territory's perimeter on Monday.
The flames were being doused by water-bearing planes, and hundreds of firefighters were working to keep the flames away from any facilities.
The country's nuclear chief, Sergei Kiriyenko, flew to Sarov yesterday to oversee firefighting efforts, Russian news agencies said.
Tens of thousands of troops and volunteers were helping some 10,000 firefighters battle blazes in more than a dozen western Russian provinces, seven of which were under a state of emergency.
Their efforts had saved more than 300 towns and villages from destruction in the past 24 hours, Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu said.
"But in some places it is getting out of control," Shoigu was quoted as telling President Dmitry Medvedev during a meeting near the southern city of Sochi.
The fires have killed at least 40 people so far and destroyed nearly 2,000 homes, as they tore through hundreds of villages in a matter of minutes, taking locals by surprise.
The ministry criticized local officials for not doing enough to stem the blazes, despite Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warning earlier that those who did not respond adequately risked losing their jobs.
Responsibilities
"Everyone must realize the measure of their responsibility," said Vladimir Stepanov, head of the Emergencies Ministry's crisis center. Municipal authorities "must mobilize all their forces, not just sit and wait for fire brigades to arrive," he said.
The weather this week will not likely help the effort, as temperatures in Moscow and to the south and east were forecast to reach 38 degrees Celsius.
Putin said yesterday he would personally supervise the reconstruction of fire-ravaged homes via video cameras to be installed at each construction site, and would broadcast the images on the government's website.
Putin has promised new housing before winter for those made homeless, as well as 200,000 rubles (US$6,700) in compensation.
"It was a nightmare," said Margarita Sholokhova, pacing forlornly near the remains of her home in the village of Kadanok, situated some 150 kilometers southeast of Moscow.
"There were too many fires and not enough firefighters. We stayed in our house until the last possible minute, but the fire came and covered the whole village like a hat," she said.
Wiped out
Four brick walls and a heavy iron stove were all that remained of her modest provincial house after wildfires swept through Kadanok three days ago.
Her mother's house next door was also among the dozen homes wiped out in the town, but a dozen others escaped damage.
Trenches are being dug and trees felled around several nuclear facilities, news agencies reported.
At the Russian Federal Nuclear Center in Sarov, 485 kilometers east of Moscow, fire reportedly breached the territory's perimeter on Monday.
The flames were being doused by water-bearing planes, and hundreds of firefighters were working to keep the flames away from any facilities.
The country's nuclear chief, Sergei Kiriyenko, flew to Sarov yesterday to oversee firefighting efforts, Russian news agencies said.
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