2019 Russian wildfires

The 2019 Siberian wildfires are the large-scale wildfires that occurred across Russian Siberia between June and September 2019 and were among the most extensive and destructive in the region’s recent history. By the end of the month the size of the fires reached 2,600,000 hectares (6,400,000 acres). The wildfires were primarily concentrated in Yakutia (Sakha Republic), Krasnoyarsk Krai, Irkutsk Oblast, and Buryatia. The total burned area and number of fires exceeded the annual average by approximately 1.5 times, ranking among the most severe wildfires recorded in the past two decades. By mid-August, the cumulative area affected by fires had surpassed 5,000,000 hectares (12,000,000 acres).

The fires produced dense smoke plumes, which spread over major cities across Siberia, the Urals, and Kazakhstan, significantly deteriorating air quality. As of 30 July, there had been no reported deaths or injuries due to the fires.

The 2019 Siberia wildfires generated significant publicity, especially among social media users. As a result, a process of reviewing legal regulations regarding forest protection and forest fire extinguishing activities was started at the state level.