The death toll from the wildfires in the Kurgan region rose to 22, according to medical records cited by TASS. A new body was found, bringing the total fatalities to 22. Earlier reports had placed the number of dead at 21. The past week saw a worsening situation with forest fires across the Urals. On May 8, Sverdlovsk region experienced 65 natural fires, while the Kurgan region reported 13 major fires. The fires led to the destruction of hundreds of buildings in settlements and caused multiple casualties and injuries.
Public authorities in the Kurgan region later announced that the state of emergency for settlements and forests in relation to the fires had been lifted. This decision came after conditions in the affected areas stabilized sufficiently to remove the immediate emergency status, though fire danger remains and monitoring continues.
Officials from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations note that the fire season has begun across nearly all parts of the country, underscoring the persistent risk of wildfires even as localized emergency measures are scaled back in some regions.