Wildfires in the Sverdlovsk region have persisted for weeks, with embers hopping from forest flames to nearby warehouses, complicating the response efforts. The situation intensified after reports that gunpowder stored in facilities in the Rzhev city district experienced explosions, signaling a dangerous crossfire between natural and man-made hazards.
Emergency services confirmed that the explosions were linked to a forest fire systemally spreading toward storage sites. Officials indicated that the most probable cause was the heat and flames from the forest fire being carried to the warehouses by the wind and fire suppression corridors. No injuries were reported, and responders emphasized continuing to marshal all available resources to prevent further spread and to secure vulnerable sites.
Across Sverdlovsk, the total area affected by fires expanded to around 20,000 hectares. Local leadership pressed for federal assistance, warning that the region faced a critical emergency. The regional head described the firefighting challenge as severe, noting that adverse weather conditions were amplifying the danger and stressing that the firefighting teams were stretched thin by multiple simultaneous incidents.
Officials announced that from the following morning, aerial support would be provided by Ministry of Emergencies aircraft, along with helicopters from the Ministry of Defense, units from the Russian Guard, and additional aviation assets dedicated to Avialesookhrana operations. These efforts were intended to bolster ground crews and provide rapid transport for firefighters, equipment, and affected residents when necessary.
As the crisis unfolded, Kuyvashev underscored the legal consequences for violations of fire safety rules, stressing that accountability and financial penalties would be imposed on violators. He described the region as being engulfed by the May holiday period and warned that the scale of the fire was a serious threat to communities and livelihoods alike, urging swift compliance with safety standards to prevent further disasters and to reduce smoke exposure for residents.
evacuation
The head of the Rezhevsky urban district announced the initiation of evacuations for residents of the village of Pervomaisky. Temporary shelter centers were prepared to receive evacuees, with buses and personal transport coordinating the orderly removal of people from at-risk areas. Similar evacuation measures were carried out in nearby communities to ensure public safety.
evacuations extended from the village of Mostovoye and from the localities of Verkhoturka, Pervomayskaya, Olkhovka near Verkhnyaya Pyshma, and from garden associations near Asbest, Degtyarsk, Revda, Berezovsky, and Artemovsky. In Berezovsky, officials indicated that villages Ostrovnoye and Zeleny Dol were also placed on evacuation alert. Wind conditions in the affected zones were driving the fire’s spread, underscoring the urgency of relocating residents who could not remain in place. Volunteers willing to assist with firefighting operations were welcomed to bolster local teams.
Officials stressed the need for volunteer participation to help localize outbreaks and protect settlements. With rising wind speeds and a growing number of active fires, authorities warned that the threat could persist and spread to new areas. Residents in neighboring towns observed smoke encroaching on roadways, and some residents had already begun leaving homes prior to official evacuation orders due to deteriorating air quality and the rapid expansion of fires. Investigations into possible arson were noted as a consideration given the dispersed nature of the outbreaks across the region.
blocked roads
Roadways were closed along several corridors to reduce exposure and facilitate emergency response. The Verkhnyaya Pyshma to Nevyansk route saw the entire stretch from kilometer 24 to 46 shut down due to heavy smoke. Access points to Mostovskoye and Olkhovka were restricted to manage traffic and protect evacuees and responders. Additional restrictions were imposed on the Nevyansk to Rezh to Artemovsky to Kilachevskoye highway segment from kilometers 128 to 134 as part of the broader safety measures.
Weather
The Sverdlovsk region remained in a declared state of emergency as firefighting teams worked to curb the spread. Officials attributed the fires to careless handling of flames and the hot, windy conditions that intensified the incidents. Forecasters warned that wind gusts could reach up to 20 meters per second, a factor that complicated suppression efforts and accelerated fire progression. Over the course of the previous day, crews had extinguished 16 fires across roughly 550 hectares, while more than a thousand professionals continued to combat active blazes and monitor shifting fire fronts. The evolving weather patterns were a central consideration in planning evacuations and allocating resources across the affected districts.