To put it into perspective: what could be the consequences of a fire in the "Utrisha"

The restoration of the Utrisha ecosystem after the fire that occurred here may take dozens or even hundreds of years, environmentalists told Izvestia. The total area of the fire was at least 70 hectares — a helicopter and an airplane were used to extinguish it. The reserve has preserved rare species of plants and animals listed in the Red Book, including the relict juniper. Environmentalists fear that after the fire, some species may disappear and it will be impossible to restore them. The damage caused by the fire to nature is described in the Izvestia article.

How to put out "Utrish"

The Utrish State Nature Reserve is on fire in the Krasnodar Territory. The fire started on Tuesday, August 25, after the wreckage of the drone fell. By Wednesday morning, the fire had engulfed 70 hectares, the press service of the Federal Forestry Agency told Izvestia. 123 people and 33 pieces of equipment are working at the site, as well as an Mi-8 helicopter and a Be-200 aircraft.

"Extinguishing is complicated by the inaccessibility of the site due to difficult mountainous terrain conditions and wind gusts up to 15 m/s. There is no threat to human settlements," the ministry said.

After the fire started, the fire quickly spread to the area affected by the large fire in 2020. During this time, a lot of dead wood has accumulated there — fallen trunks and branches that easily catch fire. An emergency mode is currently in effect in the reserve. According to the operational headquarters of the Krasnodar Territory, the area of individual fires has decreased to 5 hectares.

"Employees of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, the forest Fire Service, Kuban-SPAS, Cossacks and units that arrived from neighboring municipalities continue to eliminate the ignition of the forest floor. His deputy Sergey Lagutin is on site to coordinate the work on behalf of the governor," the headquarters said in a statement.

In the early hours, the Cossacks of the Anapa district Cossack community joined the fight against the fire. According to ataman Kirill Tishevetsky, the main fires have already been extinguished.

"We're extinguishing the outskirts," he told Izvestia. — The fire has passed through almost 70 hectares of forest. It doesn't seem to be completely burned out, but it's still damaged a lot. There are no casualties among the people.

The fire did not reach residential buildings and a children's camp, the chieftain added.

The Cossacks did not notice the bodies of the animals while extinguishing the fire. According to Kirill Tishevetsky, they managed to escape from the fire. But the plants suffered, including the relict juniper, an ancient species that has survived to the present day.

Another volunteer told Izvestia that people who can deliver water are especially needed here now. Due to the nature of the area, it is impossible to bring her by car.

— Helicopters shoot down point-by-point (fire. — Ed.), but you still need to walk and finish drying," she explained.

This is done by volunteers. It takes a long time to deliver water: it takes about an hour for one person to carry 15-20 liters to the place of ignition.

What are the consequences of a fire

The landscape of Utrisha consists of dry Mediterranean vegetation on steep southern slopes, deep crevices, canyons and mountains close to the sea. Due to the difficult terrain, it is extremely difficult to extinguish a fire here, ecologist Roman Pukalov, director of environmental programs at the Green Patrol organization, told Izvestia.

— Now it is important to prevent the development of a fire, as the weather is extremely hot, dry and windy. It hasn't rained for a long time, unfortunately, the conditions for the spread of fire are optimal," he stressed.

On Friday, August 28, the first rains should fall in this area, the specialist added.

— It's hard to cope so far, but everyone is fighting and helping in any way they can — the work is very hard. There's dust, smoke, and fumes all around, and the heat stays around 30 degrees," he said.

According to Roman Pukalov, trees will be able to reappear in this place only after dozens or even hundreds of years. Grasses and other stunted plants will return much faster. But whether the fire managed to damage the roots and tubers of rare orchids is still unknown.

It will not be possible to artificially sow or plant the territory of the reserve after a fire, since it is a natural protected ecosystem that "lives according to natural laws," the ecologist emphasized.

— The population of the Nikolsky turtle, listed in the Red Book, is under threat. It is extremely difficult for these slow animals to survive a fire," the expert emphasized.

The fire will negatively affect all the inhabitants of the reserve, which is already suffering from anthropogenic stress (human impact — Ed.), Igor Shkradyuk, coordinator of the industrial greening program at the Wildlife Conservation Center, told Izvestia.

— A little rain could minimize the consequences. Too much rain will wash the fumes into the sea," he said.

The reserve has preserved a relict flora, thanks to which we could imagine what the vegetation was like here thousands of years ago, Anastasia Bushevskaya, associate professor of the Smolensk State University of Sports, Department of Life Safety, said in an interview with the editorial board.

—Pistachio-juniper woodlands are unique not only for Russia, but also for the global ecosystem," she stressed. — If we lose these specimens, they will disappear forever — the climate has changed a lot since the time when such landscapes were born.

More than 60 species of woody plants of "Utrisha" are listed in the Red Book, they are of exceptional value, the expert added.

— If we completely lose at least some of these species, ecosystems will become poorer and more vulnerable. The more components and interconnections there are in them, the higher their stability. Therefore, the death of even individual plants, such as juniper, can become an alarming signal and eventually lead to a reduction in their population," Anastasia Bushevskaya emphasized.

Moreover, Utrish is one of the key ornithological territories in Russia. Rare birds live here, which need a familiar environment and vegetation to survive, the ecologist emphasized.

According to Anastasia Bushevskaya, chemical foam and other special means should not be used during extinguishing — only water and sand. At the same time, the environmentalist is confident that through the joint efforts of volunteers, reserve staff and the Ministry of Emergency Situations, it will be possible to quickly stop the spread of fire and minimize damage.