Russian fire threat at nuclear site reduced, Moscow still breathing smoke

The Russian emergency ministry says the area of burning forest near a secret nuclear research centre has been significantly reduced. The head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, said he had personally inspected the area around Sarov — some 370 kilometres east of the national capital — and that the situation is now under control.

In Moscow, however, shifting winds again shrouded the city with smoke from burning woodland and peat bogs.

Some Muscovites shrugged it off as just uncomfortable. While a pollution monitoring service said carbon monoxide levels were 1.3 times higher than acceptable, one resident just said he had breathed worse… “It’s not that bad.”

Other citizens held a completely different opinion. One woman said: “It’s very dangerous. The smoke stays inside the body. Nobody knows what that does. People must wear masks.”

A little over a week ago the carbon monoxide reached seven times the legal maximum. Weather forecasters have said the worst of the heatwave and smog might be over.

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