Satellites from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have registered 368 different “hot spots” across Russia, lingering evidence of an ongoing wave of conflagrations that has killed at least 53 people, destroyed more than 2,000 buildings and caused $15 billion in damages.
The number of “hot spots” is down from nearly 600 earlier in the week, although some of that decline is attributable to an increase in cloud cover.
Russian military and emergency response personnel have been battling the blazes since late July. In fact, as part of this massive emergency response effort, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin dumped 24 tons of water from an amphibious firefighting plane earlier in the week – extinguishing two fires himself.
Talk about hands on leadership …
Currently, Russian first responders are battling a blaze near the country’s top nuclear research facility in Sarov.
Russia is suffering through its worst drought in four decades, which has combined with a record heat wave to create a fertile environment for wildfires.
Pic: NASA
By EB August 15, 2010 at 1:18 pm
“Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin dumped 24 tons of water from an amphibious firefighting plane earlier in the week – extinguishing two fires himself.
Talk about hands on leadership …”
That ain’t nothing…Obama made a couple of birdies and a dozen three-pointers. And that all happened on last Tuesday. Reports are that he did better on Wednesday…Thursday…Friday… Then he took some time off from that rigorous schedule and went on another vacation.
By Florida Watching August 15, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Obama is making the most of this remaining time.