Wildfire Smoke Chokes Moscow

Moscow city center was enveloped by thick smoke on Wednesday coming from wildfires outside the Russian capital.
Wildfire Smoke Chokes Moscow
7/28/2010
Updated:
10/1/2015
<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/mhzmhz." alt="Smog from forest and peat bog fires can be seen on Red Square in central Moscow on July 26. The Russian capital was blanketed in a heavy cloud of smog caused by intense heat and drought this summer. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images)" title="Smog from forest and peat bog fires can be seen on Red Square in central Moscow on July 26. The Russian capital was blanketed in a heavy cloud of smog caused by intense heat and drought this summer. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images)" width="300" class="size-medium wp-image-1816868"/></a>
Smog from forest and peat bog fires can be seen on Red Square in central Moscow on July 26. The Russian capital was blanketed in a heavy cloud of smog caused by intense heat and drought this summer. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images)
Moscow city center was enveloped by thick smoke on Wednesday coming from wildfires outside the Russian capital. The fires were sparked by the hot weather and drought that the country has been suffering this month.

Emergency officials say that peat-bog fires that can spontaneously burst into flames, are to blame for a large part of the natural disaster.

Russia’s emergency ministry has so far recorded about 50 flashpoints of peat-bog fires across the country, 43 of which are in the Moscow region.

The Russian meteorological office reports that the central region of the country, including Moscow, is currently most susceptible to fires.

On Tuesday, in a small village of Vladimirskaya, neighboring Moscow, wildfires destroyed about 20 houses. There were no reported deaths or injures.

Greenpeace Russia says it suspects the wildfires were able to destroy the village because emergency officials paid little attention to the area.

Forecasters say that temperatures in Moscow will hit 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in the coming days and then the heat wave may subside.

This summer has been Russia’s hottest on record.