Over 50 Flights Delayed at Moscow Airports Over Smog from Wildfires

MOSCOW, August 6, 2010 (RIA Novosti)

Maria Talanova

Services at Moscow's airports are returning to normal, but over 50 flights are still delayed due to smog caused by raging wildfires, spokespeople said.

As of 16:00 p.m. Moscow time [12:00 GMT], 29 departing flights and 33 arriving flights are delayed at Domodedovo airport, a spokesman for the Russian air transport agency Rosaviatsiya said.

Vnukovo airport delayed 25 departing flights and 24 arriving flights, Sergei Izvolsky said.

Visibility on the runways at Domodedovo and Vnukovo airports is about 2.8 kilometers, he said.

Sheremetyevo airport, in Moscow's north, with a visibility of just 600 meters, delayed 5 departing flights and 11 arriving flights, the airport's press service said.

Wildfires Kill at Least 52 in Russia - Health Ministry

MOSCOW, August 6, 2010 (RIA Novosti)

Maxim Bogodvid

At least 52 people died in wildfires raging throughout Russia, the health and social development ministry said on Friday.

"A total of 471 people turned for medical help and 72 were hospitalized, 43 fire victims are currently in hospitals and 52 have died," the ministry said.

Wildfires are raging in 22 Russian regions. On Thursday, NASA satellites Terra and Aqua registered 535 hotspots from wildfires across Russia.

More than 150,000 personnel are working to fight the fires, which have been sparked by a prolonged drought and weeks of abnormally high temperatures.

Moscow and a dozen other cities have been wrapped in a thick layer of smog. Health experts say pollution levels are so high that breathing has become as dangerous as smoking several packs of cigarettes a day.

Troops defend top Russian nuclear research center from fires

MOSCOW, August 6, 2010 (RIA Novosti)

Alexey Kudenko

Some 500 servicemen are working to extinguish wildfires near the city of Sarov, where a nuclear research center is located, a spokesman for Russia's Railway Troops said on Friday.

"The main goal the railway servicemen are achieving now is putting up fire-breaks to prevent homes and the nuclear center from catching fire," Col. Sergei Dorozhkin said.

More than 30 pieces of military equipment are also involved in the firefighting efforts in Sarov, in the Nizhny Novgorod region, one of the worst-affected regions. Dorozhkin added that day and night duty had been organized to monitor the wildfires and new hotspots in the area.

A scorching heat wave has gripped much of European Russia since mid-June, sparking wildfires and causing the worst drought in decades.

The forest and peat bog fires have so far killed 50 people and left some 2,000 homeless across the central part of European Russia.

NASA satellites Terra and Aqua on Thursday registered 535 hotspots from wildfires across Russia, according to the ScanEx website.

The record-breaking heat wave will continue through mid-August, meteorologists say.

Russian President's Envoy Slams Mayors, Praises Regions Over Fires

MOSCOW, August 6, 2010 (RIA Novosti)

Russians have been let down by local officials over the wildfires that have killed 50 people, but at a regional level the response has been effective, the Russian president's envoy to the Central Federal District said.

Georgy Poltavchenko told the state Rossiiskaya Gazeta newspaper that although culpable officials must be held accountable, the priority for now had to be dealing with the fires.

"If you talk about the heads of municipalities, there will be a 'debriefing.' Those who were idle or neglected their duties will be brought to justice. But first you need to put out fires and create a safe environment for the people," the envoy said in an interview published on Friday.

Local officials have been accused of not doing enough to prevent fires and of failing to respond adequately to the blazes. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin last week called on local leaders who had not dealt with the crisis properly to resign.

Poltavchenko said that in contrast to failures at the local level, the regional response had been sufficient.

"The regional authorities, in the adverse weather conditions that we currently have, are in my opinion being quite effective," he said.

"The situation is under control, and no one is sitting around doing twiddling their thumbs," he added.

States of emergency have been introduced in seven regions due to the fires, which have killed at least 50 people.

More than 150,000 personnel are working to fight the fires, which have been sparked by a prolonged drought and weeks of abnormally high temperatures.