- Title: Wildfires rage in districts of Russian Siberia
- Date: 29th September 2016
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (SEPTEMBER 29, 2016) (REUTERS) PHOTOGRAPH OF FOREST FIRE BEING HELD IN PLACE BY GREENPEACE MAGNET GREENPEACE PRESS OFFICER IN RUSSIA, KHALIMAT TEKEEVA, SITTING AT HER DESK CLOSE OF NEWSPAPER REPORT CLIPPED ONTO WALL (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) GREENPEACE PRESS OFFICER IN RUSSIA, KHALIMAT TEKEEVA, SAYING: "Why these fires are not yet extinguished - well this year a new practice has been introduced - to call fires in relatively remote areas as fires in the zone of control. It is widely believed that we don't have enough money in general to extinguish fires. So therefore let's say these fires in remote areas are difficult to access and it is more expensive to extinguish them than to leave them." CLOSE OF NEWSPAPER REPORT CLIPPED ONTO WALL (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) GREENPEACE PRESS OFFICER IN RUSSIA, KHALIMAT TEKEEVA, SAYING: "The reason why this doesn't get into statistics is that if they are registered then they must be extinguished. And there is no money to do that."
- Embargoed: 14th October 2016 14:19
- Keywords: Russia wildfires Siberia forests Greenpeace fire
- Location: SIBERIA AND MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- City: SIBERIA AND MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents
- Reuters ID: LVA00251MD2KN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Russia's emergencies ministry is battling to extinguish raging wildfires engulfing forests in eastern Siberia.
The fires have forced school closures in Bratsk and Ust-Kut, in Irkutsk region, with thousands of children sent home, according to local media.
According to Greenpeace some two million hectares were on fire last week, with authorities struggling to contain the fires.
Greenpeace press officer in Russia, Khalimat Tekeeva, says lack of funds and authorities not dealing with the fires efficiently has meant the fires are continuing to burn.
"Why these fires are not yet extinguished - well this year a new practice has been introduced - to call fires in relatively remote areas as fires in the zone of control. It is widely believed that we don't have enough money in general to extinguish fires. So therefore let's say these fires in remote areas are difficult to access and it is more expensive to extinguish them than to leave them."
Tekeeva says many of the fires are going unregistered by local authorities.
"The reason why this doesn't get into statistics is that if they are registered then they must be extinguished. And there is no money to do that."
Greenpeace says the massive amounts of carbon released by the fires is a climate change threat and endangers local communities.
The international environmental group says millions of people are suffering from toxic smoke in Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk and other Russian cities.
The Siberian regional centre of the emergencies ministry released video showing ground and air efforts to stifle the forest fires in areas including the Bratsk district. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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