News
29.08.2016
Fire zone shrinks, concerns over air pollution in Moscow remain
Emergency officials say progress is being made by firefighters after weeks of wildfires raging across western and central Russia, though things remain tense in the other five affected areas, including the Moscow region.
The Emergencies Ministry is transferring extra resources to the areas where the battle against the fires is continuing.
The massive wildfires have destroyed dozens of provincial towns and villages, and killed more than 50 people.
The fire fronts in Russia have been reduced to just one-third of what they were six days ago, and the number of fires is down by half.
The head of the Emergencies Ministry, Sergey Shoigu, has dismissed reports of increased radiation levels, saying all localized fires have been quickly extinguished.
Earlier there were concerns that blazes in the region could raise radioactive particles into the air and spread them towards populated areas.
Fires have been completely extinguished in 14 regions in central Russia. Almost 170,000 people, including volunteers using more than 25,000 pieces of equipment, have been involved in tackling the flames.
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