Officials: Russian wildfires death toll hits 48 as Moscow disappears under blanket of smog

Officials: Russian wildfires death toll hits 48

MOSCOW — Wildfires that have wiped out Russian forests, villages and a military base sent the thickest blanket of smog yet over Moscow on Wednesday, as emergency officials said the death toll from the blazes had reached 48.

Passengers on Moscow’s subway said a haze was hovering above platforms, stinging the eyes and throat, as City Hall warned of health risks from the smoke carrying harmful gases including carbon monoxide.

Firefighters have extinguished 293 fires, but another 403 were spotted in the last day while more than 500 continued to rage over large swathes of countryside, the Emergencies Ministry said in a statement.

Russia is suffering its worst heat wave on record, helping to ignite forest and bog fires across stretches of central and western regions. Dry winds for days have sent clouds of smog from peat bog fires over Moscow, but Wednesday’s was the thickest yet, with the haze obscuring the capital’s landmarks and even penetrating the subway system.

Tens of thousands of troops and volunteers were helping some 10,000 firefighters battle blazes in more than a dozen western Russian provinces, seven of which are under a state of emergency. The Emergencies Ministry said 48 people had died in the fires.

Moscow weather officials released a statement cautioning the city’s 10 million residents to guard themselves against the smoke, saying pollution indicators had reached a “critical barrier” overnight and “even healthy people must take preventative measures.” It did not say what action should be taken, but officials have urged people to wear face masks outdoors.

“I woke up before dawn and thought I was going to die of suffocation,” said Yadviga Pashkova, a frail, 62-year-old former schoolteacher who lives in central Moscow. “It felt awful because there was no way out.”

The polluting smog comes from fires of peat bogs to the south and east of Moscow. The bogs were drained in Soviet times to harvest the peat, leaving them prone to wildfires — especially in heat waves.

Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu conceded Tuesday that some wildfires were out of control, contradicting days of reassurances from other officials the situation was in check. Prosecutors said Wednesday they were investigating possible criminal negligence in several regions in connection with the fires, but did not elaborate.

President Dmitry Medvedev planned a security council meeting Wednesday to discuss protecting strategic defense facilities, a day after officials confirmed the fires had engulfed a military base near Moscow containing unspecified aviation equipment. At least half of the buildings at the base were destroyed. Russian media said up to 200 naval aircraft may have been destroyed.

The weather this week will not likely help the firefighting efforts, as temperatures in Moscow and to the south and east were forecast to reach 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit).

Associated Press Writer Mansur Mirovalev contributed to this report.