Radioactive risk warning as Russian fires out of control

2010-08-10

Firefighters in Russia had yet to make headway against the worst wildfires in the country's history Tuesday despite international help, with more than 550 fires still burning, the Interfax news agency reported Tuesday.

The wildfires led experts to warn Tuesday that remnants of radioactive material could be stirred up and spread, although local authorities and nuclear plant operators insisted there was 'no danger'.

The blazes covered an area encompassing more than 1,700 square km. Just under 70 are major fires, according to the Civil Defence Ministry, which said that the situation remained tense. the rest

Russia's fires cause "brown cloud," may hit Arctic
The clouds -- a haze of pollution from cars or coal-fired power plants, forest fires and wood and other materials burned for cooking and heating -- are near-permanent and blamed for causing chronic respiratory and heart diseases.