Authorities in the Siberian republic of Tyva declared a regionwide state of emergency on Tuesday in response to a growing number of wildfires.
Tyva head Vladislav Khovalyg said he planned to request additional federal assistance to combat eight active fires, which were initially reported to cover 275 hectares (680 acres). By early Wednesday, the fires had expanded to over 324 hectares (800 acres).
Tyva, a sparsely populated region, spans 168,600 square kilometers (65,096 square miles).
The regional Forestry Ministry said the emergency measures include a ban on entering forests, whether by vehicle or on foot, including for recreational purposes such as mushroom and berry gathering.
Khovalyg said there were no immediate threats to populated areas in the region, which is home to around 337,300 people.
“We expect to rescind the state of emergency only when the situation normalizes,” he said in a post on Telegram, noting that dry weather and a lack of rainfall were complicating efforts to contain the fires.
Siberia and Russia’s Far East have seen increasingly severe wildfire seasons in recent years, which experts link to human-driven climate change.
The most severely affected region this year has been Zabaikalsky, where wildfires have destroyed an estimated 2.7 million hectares (6.7 million acres) and prompted the evacuation of entire villages.
Zabaikalsky region Governor Alexander Osipov on Tuesday accused arsonists allegedly working on behalf of Ukraine of starting some of the fires. He said several suspects had been arrested.
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