Persistent wildfires now destroy a large city in southern Russia, Voronezh, with the population of about 1 million. Fires, caused by heat and drought, which earlier raged in the suburbs, moved in the evening to the city. Several large forest fires raged earlier in Voronezh on Thursday, the city is clouded in a gray shroud.
Earlier, a state of emergency was imposed for the whole Voronezh region. Rescuers are evacuating thousands of city residents.
Forest fires approached power lines and disrupted their work. Inhabitants are left without electricity as a result. Businessmen are forced by police to try to extinguish city fires because local fire brigades have no sufficient manpower to save the city.
According to local TV channels, initially there were just a couple of hotbeds of fire in suburban forests, but squally wind drove the flames into the city.
Electricity was off in many city districts and water, respectively, too. Refilling of fire trucks is impossible. Waters from other areas is delivered by railroad. People from burnt houses crowd in the streets with bags with a minimum of personal belongings.
Population is being evacuated by buses and trains.
Meanwhile, fires destroy houses of 13,5 thousand people (4,500 homes) in the suburb of Somovo. Residents are being evacuated to the opposite bank of the river which divides the city into 2 parts.
"High temperatures and strong gusty winds contribute to rapid spread of fire", the press-service of the Russian Ministry of Disasters in the Voronezh region told reporters. Numbers of dead and injured are not disclosed, being a state secret.
Meanwhile, crowning fires ravage in the Northern District of Voronezh. Cars in parking lots are also burning.
Authorities advise local residents to stay at home and to close windows against smoke and fumes.
There are three hotbeds of forest fires. In the railway area - the villages of Borovoye and Somovo, Kozheven cordon, in Kominternovsky - Antonov-Ovseyenko street and the Left Bank village of Maslivka.
There is a strong smoke and a large concentration of fire trucks on the ring road. That is why the line for civilian traffic is blocked, voronezh.rfn.ru reports, - the flow of refugees is directed to the center of the city.
Earlier it was reported that the highway "Don" as well as the Voronezh - Novovoronezh road have been blocked due to forest fires near Voronezh, making impossible the evacuation of the population from the city.
According to the report, transit drivers can still travel along the Don River and could bypass the closed section on Voronezh - Lugansk highway, or through burning Voronezh. Residents of the city, due to increased evacuation and transit traffic, are recommended not to use private cars, unless necessary.
Meanwhile, the first natural fire broke also in western Moscow. The fire occurred in the elite district of Krylatsky Hills. First, it was a ground fire that spreads on the grass.
Police suspects arson by unknown young men. The fire now spreads through the whole elite suburb. The fire also ravages in Khodynka Field district in north-western Moscow. This fire has already destroyed a small local airport there.
Meanwhile, the Volga Region to the east of Moscow is also in flames. More than 340 houses were burned on Thursday in the village of Upper Vereya of Vyksa district of Nizhny Novgorod region, about 600 residents were evacuated, according to lowered official figures.
Department of Monitoring
Kavkaz Center
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