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.

Links:

Siberian Wildfires — 17 Killed and Hundreds Injured as Blazes Sweep Through Siberia

Fire Death Toll Rises to 15 in Khakassia as Republic Mourns

Siberia Ravaged by Forest Fires

Permamelt — Climate Progress

When April is the New July — Siberia’s Epic Wildfires Come Far too Early

LANCE MODIS

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

Siberian Times

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.

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.