Tyva Implements Emergency Measures as Wildfire Threats Escalate

Authorities in the Siberian republic of Tyva announced a state of emergency across the region on Tuesday due to a rising number of wildfires.

Vladislav Khovalyg, the head of Tyva, indicated that he intended to seek additional federal support to address eight ongoing fires, which were initially reported to cover an area of 275 hectares (about 680 acres). By early Wednesday, this area had increased to over 324 hectares (approximately 800 acres).

Tyva is a sparsely populated area that spans 168,600 square kilometers (65,096 square miles).

The regional Forestry Ministry stated that emergency measures include a prohibition on entering forested areas, whether by car or on foot, including for leisure activities like gathering mushrooms and berries.

Khovalyg mentioned that there were currently no immediate dangers to populated regions, which are inhabited by around 337,300 residents.

“We anticipate lifting the state of emergency only when the situation returns to normal,” he shared in a Telegram post, while acknowledging that dry conditions and insufficient rainfall were hindering fire containment efforts.

In recent years, Siberia and Russia’s Far East have experienced increasingly severe wildfire seasons, a trend that experts attribute to climate change driven by human activity.

This year, the Zabaikalsky region has been the hardest hit, with wildfires consuming an estimated 2.7 million hectares (6.7 million acres) and necessitating the evacuation of entire villages.

On Tuesday, Zabaikalsky region Governor Alexander Osipov accused arsonists purportedly acting on behalf of Ukraine of igniting some of the fires, and stated that several suspects have been apprehended.