{"id":51508,"date":"2021-12-06T12:48:36","date_gmt":"2021-12-06T11:48:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/?p=51508"},"modified":"2024-10-31T11:50:22","modified_gmt":"2024-10-31T10:50:22","slug":"zombie-forest-fires-underground-peat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/51508\/zombie-forest-fires-underground-peat\/","title":{"rendered":"Has the zombie apocalypse of forest fires begun?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We have all seen the dramatic, terrifying images of wildfires tearing at devastating speed through forested areas all over the world, from the Amazon to California and throughout Northern Africa and Europe<\/a>. But what we don\u2019t very often see – likely because it\u2019s much more difficult to capture with a camera – are the equally devastating peat fires which burn underground, often for months at a time.<\/p>\n\n

\"Climate
This summer Siberia is extremely suffering from various consequences of climate change: heat waves, oil spills caused by permafrost thawing and raging forest fires. Greenpeace Russia team has documented forest fires in the Krasnoyarsk region. It is a clear evidence of a climate emergency: the northern landscape is being transformed by heat and fire. While Russian authorities are failing to stop these fires, valuable for the planet taiga continues burning with the consequences to local people and big contribution to climate change.
\u00a9 Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

This winter in Russia, we have seen these peat fires in increasing numbers. They are often called zombie fires<\/em> because of their cunning and ability to continue to burn below the ground surface, even under a layer of snow. In the 2021 forest fire season in Russia, more than 18.8 million hectares of fires burned – a record at the time<\/a> according to the state satellite monitoring system. It is also a record in the number of fires above the Arctic Circle. The smoke reached the North Pole. And now once again, despite the arrival of the winter snow and frost, the peat fires continue.<\/p>\n\n

In the Urals region of Northern Russia, numerous hotbeds of smouldering peat have been discovered by experts at Greenpeace Russia.<\/p>\n\n

\"Peat
Greenpeace Russia fire department examined peat bogs in the vicinity of Yekaterinburg in the Urals and discovered numerous zombie fires. They smolder despite frost and snow and can burn until spring. The number of peat fires is growing in Russia, including Siberia and the northern territories. Not only this is the evidence of rapid climate change, but also one of the causes for future climate change, if we do not stop these fires.
\u00a9 Greenpeace <\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Throughout the autumn, strong smoke was detected in Yekaterinburg, one of the largest Russian cities, due to the burning peat in bogs in the vicinity of the city. Now, the joint inspection has confirmed fears that the peat fires had not been completely extinguished, many fires continued under the snow and may not be extinguished until next Spring.  <\/p>\n\n