19 million ha (47 million acres) of land scorched as wildfires continue to rage in Siberia

Major cities in Russia are covered in haze and smoke as mega wildfires continue to rage through Siberia.

According to satellite monitoring data, fires have torched 19 million ha (47 million acres) of the area since the beginning of 2020-- an area bigger than Greece. About 10 million ha (25 million acres) of these suffered forest fires.

Much of the blaze is happening in the remote areas of Far Eastern Russia and Eastern Siberia. 

Last week, harmful haze from fires covered the cities of Yakutsk, Urgorsk, and Sovetsky, as well as many other smaller towns and villages. The air quality has been affected, which raised concerns that it further aggravated respiratory issues.

Several wildfires in the Sakha Republic on July 20, 2020. Image credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, Pierre Markuse

Image credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, Pierre Markuse

Image credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, Pierre Markuse

Siberia wildfires on July 20, 2020. Image credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, Annamaria Luongo

While some of these forest fires were sparked by lightning, others were started on the river banks that were most probably a consequence of campfires, according to Greenpeace Russia campaigners.

Another common cause of wildfires in Siberia and Far Eastern Russia are large-scale prescribed burnings that became difficult to control, and the legal requirement enforced on logging companies to destroy logging leftovers.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) also took note of prolonged heatwave in Siberia.

Featured image credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, Pierre Markuse