Strong fires rage in the Chelyabinsk region. The fire area in the Plastovsky district exceeded 3,5 thousand hectares. The fire approached closely to the settlements Upper and Stone Sanarka, Chernoreche, Steppe and RadioMike. On May 14, due to a fire and strong smoke, the route Yuzhnouralsk - Magnitogorsk.
Extinguishing a fire in the village of Stepnoye involved almost three hundred people with the support of 30 units of equipment. Aviation was involved. Forest burning in the Kizil, Argayash and Uvelsk regions. The cause of the fire in most cases is the notorious human factor. Not completely extinguished bonfire, abandoned cigarette butt. The rest will be completed by a drought, a strong wind blowing sparks on last year's grass. Fire comes to the forest in most cases from fields where the grass is ignited intentionally or through negligence. Since April 28, the region has introduced a special fire-fighting regime, it is forbidden to use any open fire. Firefighters make up to 150 departures per day. Over the past two months, more than 2 thousand visits have been made. In the conditions of the fire regime, the amount of the fine for arson of grass is increased to 400 thousand rubles. However, if significant damage is inflicted, criminal liability may arise.
In Kyshtym, the flames spread over 40 hectares, more than 30 garden houses burned in just one day.
This year, the area of ??forest fires in the region is 1.5 times higher than in the same period last year. More than 12 thousand hectares of forest have already been affected. And a large number of fires with an area of ??more than 25 hectares. With great difficulty, it was possible to eliminate the fire in the Sanar bor. Part of the boron has already burned before, so it is difficult to say how many trees in the zakaznik will be able to cope with the consequences of the fire. The picture will become clear only in autumn.
On May 16, the fire approached the regional center. The continuous wall of fire, driven by a strong wind, easily crossed the glades and roads. Hundreds of rescuers could do little about it. Eyewitnesses say that the picture resembled an apocalypse. Not all the houses in the suburbs managed to save. The fire area reached 3.5 thousand hectares. And this is close to the city, whose population is 1.2 million people.
Water in fire trucks lasts for 5 minutes, and then you have to look for it. There are no hydrant networks in the villages. The city and surrounding villages stand in a continuous smoke. Do not save even tightly closed windows. The garden associations "Vavilovets", "Cherry". Local residents claim that there was an arson attack. Fires in the Sosnovsky District, Kremenkule and Kashtak. Chelyabinsk was in the ring of fire. Firefighters and police were engaged in the fire.