Unprecedented Early Start to ‘Perma-Burn’ Fire Season — Deadly Wildfires Rage Through Siberia on April 12
14
April, 2015
Permafrost.
Ground frozen for millennia. An enormous deposit of organic carbon
forming a thick, peat-like under-layer.
Forced
to warm at an unprecedented rate through the massive burning of
heat-trapping gasses by human beings, this layer is now rapidly
thawing, providing an amazing source of heat and fuel for wildfire
ignition.
Joe
Romm over at Climate Progress has long called this region
‘Permamelt.’ But,
with a doubling of the number of wildfires for the high Arctic and an
extension of the permafrost fire season into early April this year,
we may well consider this to be a zone of now, near permanent,
burning — Permaburn.
*
* * * *
(Massive
outbreak of permafrost wildfires in Russia this week have left up to
34 villages in smoldering ruins. Image from Khakassia, Russia via The
Siberian Times.)
For
Khakassia, Russia the story this week has been one of unprecedented
fire disaster.
Khakassia
is located along a southern region of Siberia bordering northern
Mongolia and Kazakhstan. It is an area that typically experiences
cold temperatures — even in summer time. An area of frozen ground
representing the southern boundary for Siberian permafrost. There, as
with much of Siberia, temperatures have been forced to rapidly warm
by human greenhouse gas emissions. And this added heat forcing has
contributed to ever-more-powerful and extensive wildfires as the
permafrost thawed — providing an ever-increasing volume of fuels
for wildfires.
Last
year, Siberian wildfires also came far too early — impacting
a broad region near Lake Baikal, Russia during late April.
But this year, the fires have come near the start of April. An
extension of the burning season in Siberia inexorably toward the
winter-spring boundary.
(Extensive
wildfires burn though Siberian Khakassia on April 12 of 2015. In the
image, we can see down through a break in the cloud deck to view
smoke plumes from scores of wildfires raging throughout the region.
For reference, bottom edge of frame is 120 miles and the largest burn
scars range from 3-5 miles across. As Siberian permafrost burn season
progresses, we can expect fires that belch smoke plumes across the
Northern Hemisphere emitting from burn scars as large as 30 miles or
more across. Image source: LANCE
MODIS.)
This
weekend, temperatures in Khakassia soared to 25 degrees Celsius —
15-20 degrees Celsius above average for daytime temperatures in this
region even during recent warmer years (1979-2000). A near 80 degree
Fahrenheit reading that would be warm for this region in summertime —
but one that cropped up in early April as a result of powerful and
hot south to north air flows transporting heat across Asia and into
the Arctic. These flows wound through Central Asia, warming Khakassia
to record temperatures in their inexorable surge toward a warming
polar one.
The
heat over Khakassia rapidly thawed surface vegetation, extending
warmth deep into the thawing permafrost layer. The result was an
outbreak of massive wildfires. Beginning this weekend the blazes
have, so far, raged through 34 villages and been blamed for 1300
destroyed homes, the loss of nearly 4000 herd animals, 900 human
injuries and 20 deaths. Such a fierce and destructive fire outbreak
during summer would have been unprecedented. For this kind of event
to occur in April, at the edge of Siberian winter, is nothing short
of outlandishly strange.
Russian
authorities have blamed the fires on a combination of hot weather and
human burning. It is a tradition for Russian farmers to burn to clear
fields during this time of year. And it is this practice that media
is focusing on. However, traditional burning during spring did not
historically result in the kinds of massive blazes that ripped
through Khakassia earlier this week. Russian farmers, in this case,
are unwittingly flinging matches into a tinderbed of rapidly thawing
compost.
A pile of warming and chemically volatile peat-like perma-burn that is providing more and more fuel for intense fires.
A pile of warming and chemically volatile peat-like perma-burn that is providing more and more fuel for intense fires.
Links:
Death toll rises 'to 15' in Khakassia fires as republic mourns
Premier
Dmitry Medvedev launches inquiry into the tragedy which leaves almost
600 injured.
Some
1,200 homes were lost to raging flames fuelled by strong
winds. Picture: vk.com/fotohakasiay
13
April, 2015
One
child was among the dead with most victims suffering from burns and
carbon monoxide poisoning. The toll of 15 was announced by the
Regional Center for Disaster Medicine while the regional Ministry of
Health reported that ten had perished.
Some
1,200 homes were lost to raging flames fuelled by strong winds. Some
62 were hospitalised. Others were hospitalised and later sent home or
to special shelters for families in the blitzed communities.
In
a fast-moving situation in the southern Siberian republic, it was
clear many families have suffered grievously from vicious spread of
fire caused when the burning of dry grass in fields got out of
control.
One
senior Russian official spoke of the flames igniting like
'gunpowder'. A pall of acrid smoke hangs over the remote and
mountainous region.
An
heroic effort by firefighters - including thousands of volunteers and
brigades drafted in from neighbouring regions - saved up to 60,000
homes from destruction. Fires hit some 40 settlements.
In
a fast-moving situation in the southern Siberian republic, it was
clear many families have suffered grievously from vicious spread of
fire caused when the burning of dry grass in fields got out of
control. Pictures: Vkontakte
By
Monday there were reports that all the fires were put out, but there
was concern that the incendiary conditions remain.
'All
the fires in the territory of Khakasia have been extinguished today.
But the fire-fighters will stay here. They are on duty
round-the-clock to prevent new fires,' said Boris Borzov, chief fire
supervision inspector of the Russian Emergencies Ministry.
The
ministry deployed several planes and helicopters to fight the fires.
Special trains were also used.
Premier
Medvedev instructed Emergency Situations Minister Vladimir Puchkov
and Khakassia leader Viktor Zimin 'to conduct a through investigation
into the fires and to assess the damage', said sources in the
Khakassia government. 'A special commission will be in charge of the
investigation.'
Zimin
'informed the prime minister about the situation in the republic,
saying that it was getting back to normal, but, nevertheless,
remained very complicated'.
A
key question is whether warnings were heeded by local officials. Such
fires are a known risk at this time of year from dry grass - even
though local rivers and lakes remain frozen. In all some 5,000
firefighters battled to halt the flames.
'As
a result of uncontrolled burning, dry weather, strong and rough wind,
residential dwellings went on fire,' said Viktor Yatsutsenko, head of
the National Crisis Control Centre of Russia's Emergencies Ministry.
A
call was made for 'residents of the region to battle the fire, which
began because of residents themselves, after uncontrolled grass
burning.' Pictures: Vkontakte
Some
of the injured were said to be in a 'grave condition'.
A
call was made for 'residents of the region to battle the fire, which
began because of residents themselves, after uncontrolled grass
burning'.
'I
order the introduction of a special fire prevention regime in all
Siberian regions,' said Puchkov. 'As soon as snow melts while rivers
are still covered by ice, dry grass burns like gunpowder.' He added:
'People begin to burn grass on their plots and fire spreads to
agricultural land and pastures are burnt.'
Temporary
camps were set up in the republic's Beisky and Shirinsky districts to
accommodate people affected by the fire, said the republic's
government.
Two
Il-76 planes were flown from Moscow to extinguish the fires.
Frantic battle to stop wildfires engulfing suburbs Chita city
Southern
Siberia hit by punishing flames causing death and destruction
From last year -
From last year -
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