Residents of Odesa and the Odesa district have been facing an unpleasant phenomenon for the second day in a row — a pungent smell of smoke spreading across the city and surrounding areas. The cause is the smoldering of vegetation on irrigation fields around the city. The area of the fire spots is about 8 hectares.
What is happening on site?
According to the head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Oleksandr Kiper, work to extinguish the dry grass and reeds has been underway since July 20. Rescuers from the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service (SES) in the Odesa region have deployed the necessary forces and resources to fight the fire.
However, the fire has not yet been fully extinguished. The head of the RMA explained this by two main factors: the difficulty of access to the smoldering sites and weather conditions that hinder the work of firefighters.
Environmental monitoring
Authorities are not standing aside from the problem of air quality. Ecologists are conducting constant monitoring of the atmospheric air. At the moment, the indicators do not indicate a critical deterioration of its condition. Specialists promise to respond promptly to any changes.
Kiper also noted that such processes are typical for hot weather and depend on the direction and strength of the wind. According to forecasts, with a change in weather conditions, the situation will gradually improve, and the smell of smoke will decrease.
Previous cases of smoke
This is not the first time that Odesa and other regions of Ukraine have faced similar problems. At the end of June, Kyiv and the region recorded a significant deterioration in air quality due to forest fires in the Chernobyl zone. And in early July, the capital was again shrouded in smog caused by a combination of natural fires and the consequences of enemy shelling.
Currently, all services continue to work on the complete elimination of smoldering spots in Odesa. Residents are advised to take precautionary measures and follow official statements from the authorities.
