Destructive Wildfires Spread Across Eastern Ukraine

More than 30 wildfires raged across the Luhansk region of Ukraine, consuming over 27,181 acres and damaging hundreds of structures, according to government reports. Footage released by the ДСНС України (State Emergency Service of Ukraine) shows massive fires and red skies, with firefighters attempting to extinguish burning buildings. According to Google Translate, the government wrote in an update on the fire on October 1: “According to preliminary estimates, the approximate area covered by the fire of all 8 cells is more than 11 thousand hectares. The fires killed nine people (including one forestry worker) and hospitalized 14 people.” The statement also said, “More than 250 buildings were damaged by the fire. Aviation of the State Emergency Service completed work on extinguishing forest fires in the Luhansk region. Sixty discharges of 246 tons of water were carried out.” President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Google Translated briefing: “The reasons for a large-scale spread of fire must be clearly established.” Zelensky said, “We also take into account information about provocative shelling that could have been carried out from the temporarily occupied territory of our state by illegal armed groups and, in such weather conditions, could have caused at least some of these fires that are currently on the line of demarcation.” Credit: ДСНС України (State Emergency Service of Ukraine) via Storyful

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