From Siberia to California: Nations face devastating blazes with dwindling resources

As September draws to a close, forests continue to burn both in Russia and across the ocean. California is currently battling several active wildfires, with the largest, Plaskett Fire, consuming over 30,000 acres and Timber Fire exceeding 25,000 acres. In Russia, the high-risk fire season remains open in 81 regions.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Salam2009, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Wildfires

In a single week, from September 21 to 27, Russian forest firefighting services extinguished 126 fires across 26 regions. The flames swept through Siberia and the Far East, affecting Krasnoyarsk and Khabarovsk territories, Irkutsk and Amur regions, Buryatia, Transbaikalia, Primorye, and Sakhalin.

As of September 28, 15 forest fires, covering 4,700 hectares, were actively being fought. Three fires raged in Krasnoyarsk Krai and three in the Amur region. An additional 11 fires in remote areas of Krasnoyarsk Krai, spanning 5,700 hectares, were under observation, with firefighting efforts suspended by regional commissions.

The Human Element in Fire Suppression

This ongoing crisis highlights a critical need not just for aircraft, satellites, and drones, but fundamentally for people. Belarus, with a forest area of 8.4 million hectares, employs approximately 35,000 forestry workers. Russia, by contrast, has around 73,000 workers for its vast forest territories.

While directly applying Belarusian staffing norms to Siberia is impractical due to differences in population density, infrastructure, climate, and accessibility, the core principle remains: fires are not extinguished by hectares or regulations, but by people. The true measure of capacity includes all those capable of directly confronting a blaze: forest rangers, aerial firefighting crews (Avialesookhrana), regional fire brigades, Ministry of Emergency Situations (MChS) firefighters, seasonal and supplementary units, and, where applicable, contracted private entities.

Resource Discrepancies: Russia vs. The US

The scale of the challenge is evident in current operations. On September 28, 561 personnel, 31 units of equipment, and ten aircraft were deployed to combat Russian forest fires. An additional 49 aircraft were engaged in aerial monitoring. To tackle fires in the Yamal region, 100 specialists each had to be redeployed from Ugra and Krasnoyarsk Krai.

The United States employs a similar strategy of concentrating forces but maintains a significantly larger reserve. In California alone, CAL FIRE boasts over 12,000 permanent and seasonal employees, supported by aviation assets, ground crews, satellite surveillance, and drones. Since the beginning of 2026, the state has recorded 5,701 wildfires, burning nearly 329,000 acres.

Russia possesses a robust system for satellite and aerial monitoring. However, satellites can detect a fire but cannot extinguish it. The dissolution of the Federal Forestry Service in 2000 and subsequent reforms effectively dismantled the traditional forestry inspectorate. Consequently, in heavily forested regions, a single state forest inspector may be responsible for tens or even hundreds of thousands of hectares.

The Critical Distance: From Detection to Action

This leads to a more pertinent question than simply "how many foresters does Russia need?". The crucial question is: how many people are required to reach the fire's origin within the critical first hours? A fire covering a few hectares can be contained with relatively modest resources. However, when fires engulf thousands of hectares of taiga, hundreds of personnel, heavy equipment, and aviation support become essential.

Modern technology allows for the detection of fires from space. Yet, the vast expanse of taiga can still separate the "red dot" on a satellite map from the boots-on-the-ground personnel with the necessary equipment. This distance remains one of the most significant vulnerabilities in Russia's forest protection system.

Source: This commentary was adapted from an original Russian-language publication by Pravda.Ru.