Since the beginning of 2026, over 3 million hectares of forest have…
Since the beginning of 2026, over 3 million hectares of forest have burned in Russia, with the majority of fires concentrated in the Far Eastern and Siberian federal districts. The situation is exacerbated by climate change, difficult access to fire zones, and concerns that official statistics may underreport actual damage.
Consensus
- Since the beginning of 2026, more than 3 million hectares of forest have burned in Russia.
- The majority of fires are concentrated in the Far Eastern and Siberian Federal Districts.
- The number of active fires being actively extinguished is in the hundreds.
- There are concerns that official statistics may understate the true extent of the fires.
- Climate change is cited as a key factor contributing to the increased frequency and intensity of forest fires.
- The fire in the Yugansky Nature Reserve in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug has not been fully extinguished for over a month.
Points of divergence
- The total area burned is 3,376,403 hectares, with at least 7,305 fires registered. — tg_doxajournal
- 500,000 hectares burned in just the last five days. — tg_kedr_media
- The total area burned is 3,001,486.02 hectares, with 239 active fires currently being extinguished. — tg_govorit_nemoskva
- There was a 15.5% decrease in the number of forest fires in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, with 146,500 fires reported. — kommersant
- The Far Eastern Federal District leads with 2.06 million hectares burned, followed by the Siberian Federal District with 1.14 million hectares. — tg_doxajournal
- The Far Eastern Federal District has 1,875 fires on 1,858,998.25 hectares (over 61% of total area). — tg_govorit_nemoskva
- The situation is particularly severe in Yakutia, with fires affecting the Yugansky Nature Reserve. — tg_kedr_media
- The fire in the Yugansky Reserve has not been extinguished for several days and covers 50 hectares. — tg_govorit_nemoskva
- The number of forest fires in the first half of the year decreased by 15.5% compared to the same period in 2024, and the number of fatalities and injuries increased slightly. — kommersant
Coverage (4 sources)
- Since the beginning of 2026, more than 3.3 million hectares of forest have burned in Russia — DOXA
- In Russia, three million hectares of forest have burned since the beginning of the year. 500 thousand of them — in the last five days — Кедр.медиа
- More than 3 million hectares of forest burned in Russia since the beginning of 2026. Half a million of them in just five days — Говорит НеМосква
- In Russia, the number of forest fires decreased by 15.5% — Коммерсантъ