I'm really sad to continue to hear about the fires in Russia. What a nightmare for the people there who lost everything and those who continue to suffer from the heat and smoke. The estimate of 15,000 people who could die is absolutely mind blowing. Sad to see that the international response has not been as wide as I would expect.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-0...heat-wave.html

Oh no that's really sad. I had no idea..

I'm there now. Its crazy. Visibility from the smog in the city is 50m or so....and people are walking the streets wearing masks, in some cases even in offices. Its like living in a movie. Its horrible

about the fires???

I have a friend who is there right now for a skydiving championship. they still got to do part of it but the pics you see from on the ground and in the air are quit shocking. BUt you never see the world reach out to the cali or Ausi fires right? Maybe thats why no one has reached out to Russia yet.....

And with all these disasters happening I think the relief fund is a bit depleted.....

No, about the estimated death toll. I'm sorry, I should have made myself more clear.

Supposed to be there next month.

Cali and Aussies are well prepared for such events...yes I know they are horrible but the scale here is much wider affecting way more people. Such fires/drought/temps have not been recorded in Russia for 1000 years or so...

In usual Russian fashion, Putin is being seen as some kind of hero, despite...

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6723BL20100803

I've friends in Ryazan. They tell me the fires are only 15km away. The air is filled with smoke.

I read the russians did not ask for international help because of pride. Now i hear that parts of Ukraine close to Tchernobyl is burning also because it's a no man's land. Worried that all this smoke clouds will come close to us full of radioactive particles.....

i heard that EU offered help but it is Russian government policy not to accept help from bilateral bodies...They did apparently accept help from UA, DE, FR, PL and even a 4 man team and equipment is heading there from CH. Surrounding neighbour countries are also helping out.

One of our offices has just been evacuated in Moscow.
A work colleague there called earlier today saying the office had caught fire and all electricity is cut.

Yet another example of how a culture of lies leads to disasters.

Yep, it was difficult, there was smog in Moscow, since 6 August or even earlier...
It was much alike Silent Hill or Spilber horror movie
People could not do anything...
Just a good climate control in the car (filters)+blocking air flows from outside the building at the office by the Landlord
The City was almost empty, no traffic jams, no people dining outside at terraces of the resto....

Actualy we have these local fires around Moscow every year.
But only this year it was a large disaster....

Apparently the floods in Asia are linked to the high temp. in central Asia and other events related to jet stream.
And some people still don't believe in climate change........

Apparently it is possible to help, I contributed to the relief fund today by the HBF.

apparently these things happen then and then, no need to involve voodo to the equation