Smoke From Russian Wildfires Reaches Eastern Kazakhstan

Residents of East Kazakhstan Region are complaining of smog-covered skies and the smell of burning in the air, an Orda.kz correspondent reports.

According to eyewitnesses, smog has been observed not only in Ust-Kamenogorsk, but also in Shemonaikha, Belousovka, Ridder, Gornaya Ulbinka, and Bobrovka.

Residents of Semey, in neighboring Abay Region, have also reported the smell of burning.

The Emergency Situations Department of East Kazakhstan Region said there are no major fires in the region itself.

According to Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations, the haze in East Kazakhstan Region was caused by natural fires in Krasnoyarsk and Altai territories, Omsk and Irkutsk regions, and other parts of Siberia,the East Kazakhstan Region internal policy department said.

At the same time, East Kazakhstan Region is also facing a high fire danger level because of extreme heat.

Over the past week, 587 forest fire sites covering more than 68,000 hectares were registered in 40 regions of Russia, according to Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations. The ministry said the most difficult situation remains in the Siberian Federal District.

Original author: Elena Medvedeva

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