Rescue Board: Smoke from Ukrainian forest fires spotted in Estonia
The Estonian Rescue Board (Päästeamet) has begun to receive calls reporting greyish smoke in the air and suspicions of a forest fire burning in the distance. The fires are not on Estonian soil, but have been blown to Estonia by strong winds from Ukraine, where large forest fires are currently burning.
The Rescue Board confirmed that the smoke poses no immediate health threat.
Shortly before 3 p.m. on Monday, the Estonian Rescue Board received its first call reporting smoke in the village of Saru in Rõuge Municipality (Võru County).
Rescue workers who headed to Saru found no fire source on sight, however, a large mass of grey smoke was spotted to the south-east. A similar call was later received from Kanaküla, Saarde Municipality in Pärnu County.
The source of the smoke is likely to be landscape fires which are currently burning on Ukrainian territory. The smoke has reached Estonia due to strong winds.
The Estonian Environmental Board (Keskkonnaamet) is actively measuring and monitoring the air quality across Estonia, with no major decrease in quality observed so far. There has also been no increase in radiation. The characteristic smoky smell may be unpleasant, but does not pose a significant health risk.
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Editor: Michael Cole
