Siberian Wildfires Research Articles

Impact of Siberian Wildfires on Ice-Nucleating Particle Concentrations over the Northwestern Pacific.

Ice-nucleating particles (INPs) significantly influence aerosol-cloud precipitation interactions at regional and global scales. However, information regarding the concentrations and origins of INPs over the open ocean, particularly at high latitudes, remains insufficient due to access difficulties. In this study, we investigated the concentrations and origins of INPs over the western North Pacific to the Arctic Ocean through ship-borne observations conducted in the early autumn of 2016. The number concentrations of INPs (NINPs) active at -25 °C (NINPs(-25 °C)) and -15 °C (NINPs(-15 °C)) varied from 0.034 to 41.2 L-1 and <0.0005 to 0.11 L-1, respectively, and those over the Arctic Ocean (≥70°N) were the lowest. Comparisons of the observed NINPs variation with chemical compositions and autofluorescent properties of ambient aerosol particles indicated that NINPs(-25 °C) and NINPs(-15 °C) were largely influenced by mineral and biological materials of terrestrial origin, respectively. We further observed higher NINPs over the Bering Sea and the Northwestern Pacific (40-60°N) at the return cruise than those at the outward cruise. Aerosol composition and backward trajectory analyses indicated that particles originating from Siberian wildfires could significantly contribute to the observed high NINPs. These results suggest a substantial role of boreal wildfires in supplying INPs onto the oceans, including high latitudes, depending on the transportation and emission conditions.

Unprecedented East Siberian wildfires intensify Arctic snow darkening through enhanced poleward transport of black carbon.

Summer Arctic black carbon (BC) predominantly originates from boreal wildfires, significantly contributing to Arctic warming. This study examined the impact of MODIS-detected extensive East Siberian wildfires from 2019 to 2021 on Arctic BC and the associated radiative effects using GEOS-Chem and SNICAR simulations. During these years, Arctic surface BC aerosol concentrations rose to 46ngm-3, 43ngm-3, and 59ngm-3, nearly doubling levels from the low-fire year of 2022. East Siberian wildfires accounted for 62%, 75%, and 79% of elevated BC levels in 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively. These wildfires also increased BC deposition on snow and sea ice, particularly in the Laptev and East Siberian Seas. The resulting snow contamination (30.6±5.15ngg-1, 15.4±1.29ngg-1, and 33.8±5.24ngg-1) reduced surface snow albedo, increasing summer Arctic radiative forcing over snow and sea ice by +1.38±0.65Wm-2, +0.70±0.20Wm-2, and+1.46±0.73Wm-2 in 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively. As climate warming intensifies, more frequent extreme wildfires in East Siberia could further amplify Arctic snow darkening, potentially accelerating Arctic warming.

The upper tropospheric-lower stratospheric ozone drives summer precipitation and wildfire changes in West Siberia

Siberian wildfires are pivotal in determining the carbon cycle and climate dynamics, exerting a profound impact on the ecosystems of the entire Arctic region. Over the past few decades, variations in summer precipitation in West Siberia have significantly influenced wildfire activity. This study analyzed precipitation trends in West Siberia from 1982 to 2021 using observations and transient simulations, uncovering a strong correlation between precipitation variability and ozone concentrations in the upper troposphere-lower stratosphere (UTLS). Heightened UTLS ozone levels warm the upper atmosphere over West Siberia during summer. This warming modifies the regional polar jet stream, intensifying its southern branch and weakening the northern one, leading to a southward shift in the jet stream. Consequently, cyclonic circulation anomalies emerge in the upper troposphere, characterized by a barotropic structure with unusual upward movements around 60°N. This upward motion triggers corresponding anomalies in zonal winds in the lower troposphere, fostering a low-pressure system at the surface. This atmospheric shift results in an influx of warm, moist air from the south and cold, dry air from the north into Siberia, enhancing cloud formation and precipitation. Notably, our analysis suggests that the rise in summer precipitation in West Siberia between 1993 and 2010 is linked to increased UTLS ozone concentrations during this period. Conversely, the decline in UTLS ozone since 2010 may increase the risk of wildfires by suppressing precipitation. Our findings underscore the pivotal role of stratospheric chemistry in shaping the regional climate and wildfire behavior.

Escalating Wildfires in Siberia Driven by Climate Feedbacks Under a Warming Arctic in the 21st Century

AbstractSiberian wildfire is of paramount importance in the carbon cycle and climate change as it is a major disturbance in the pan‐Arctic ecosystems. In recent decades, the Siberian wildfire regime has been shifting; however, less is known about its process‐based feedback mechanisms. By integrating in‐situ and satellite observational data sets as well as chemistry‐climate coupled modeling, we find that central Siberia has featured the most prominent wildfire escalation during the past two decades, which is closely related to hydrological drought with decreasing rainfall and drying soil under a fast‐warming Arctic. Furthermore, fire‐emitted aerosols compound the increasing wildfires via serving as cloud condensation nuclei and suppressing precipitation, forming self‐amplifying feedback. As the Arctic warming is projected to continue, wildfires are estimated to more than double by the end of this century. This work highlights the great importance of fire risk management based on a fundamental scientific understanding of the complex climate system.

Rapid summer Russian Arctic sea-ice loss enhances the risk of recent Eastern Siberian wildfires

In recent decades boreal wildfires have occurred frequently over eastern Siberia, leading to increased emissions of carbon dioxide and pollutants. However, it is unclear what factors have contributed to recent increases in these wildfires. Here, using the data we show that background eastern Siberian Arctic warming (BAW) related to summer Russian Arctic sea-ice decline accounts for ~79% of the increase in summer vapor pressure deficit (VPD) that controls wildfires over eastern Siberia over 2004-2021 with the remaining ~21% related to internal atmospheric variability associated with changes in Siberian blocking events. We further demonstrate that Siberian blocking events are occurring at higher latitudes, are more persistent and have larger zonal scales and slower decay due to smaller meridional potential vorticity gradients caused by stronger BAW under lower sea-ice. These changes lead to more persistent, widespread and intense high-latitude warming and VPD, thus contributing to recent increases in eastern Siberian high-latitude wildfires.

Precipitation-induced abrupt decrease of Siberian wildfire in summer 2022 under continued warming

Wildfires in Northeast (NE) Siberia have become more frequent owing to the warming climate, exerting a profound impact on the global carbon cycle. While an increase in global temperature is recognized as a primary driver of unprecedented wildfires, the role of precipitation during wildfire season is relatively unexplored. Here, we present evidence that an increase in summer precipitation led to a sudden decrease in NE Siberian wildfires, especially in 2022, notwithstanding the persistent warming trend in the northern high latitudes. The interannual variability of summer precipitation, linked to the large-scale atmospheric circulation, known as the Scandinavia (SCAND) pattern, significantly impacts the regulation of wildfires. Climate models project enhanced variability in summer precipitation, potentially amplifying year-to-year fluctuations in wildfire occurrences. The interplay between the temperature and precipitation patterns in NE Siberia under ongoing warming may increase the occurrence of extreme wildfires, leading to a substantial release of carbon and further contributing to climate warming.

Comment on “Stratospheric Aerosol Composition Observed by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Following the 2019 Raikoke Eruption” by Boone et al.

AbstractBased on satellite observations in the Arctic stratosphere at latitudes from 61° to 66°N in the second half of 2019, Boone et al. (2022, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022jd036600) provide the impression that the aerosol in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) over the entire Arctic consisted of sulfate aerosol originating from the Raikoke volcanic eruption in the summer of 2019. Here, we show that this was most probably not the case and the aerosol layering conditions were much more complex. By combining the stratospheric aerosol typing results of Boone et al. (2022, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022jd036600) with lidar observations at 85°–86°N of Ohneiser et al. (2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp‐21‐15783‐2021) of a dominating wildfire smoke layer in the UTLS height range, we demonstrate that the Arctic UTLS aerosol most likely consisted of Siberian wildfire smoke in the lower part and sulfate aerosol in the upper part of the aerosol layer which extended from 7 to 19 km height and was well observable until May 2020. The smoke‐ and sulfate‐related aerosol optical thickness (AOT) fractions were about 0.7–0.8 and 0.2–0.3, respectively, according to our analysis. The sulfate AOT is in good agreement with model‐based predictions of the Raikoke sulfate AOT.

Increased summertime wildfire as a major driver of the clear-sky dimming in the Siberian Arctic from 2000 to 2020

A warming Arctic is expected to exacerbate wildfires in Siberia, potentially creating a critical feedback to the Arctic climate change. However, our understanding of these fire-climate interactions remains limited. This study investigated changes in East Siberian wildfires and their influence on fire emissions, aerosol optical depth (AOD), and the surface clear-sky insolation across the Siberian Arctic from 2000 to 2020 using satellite observations. Our analysis reveals a substantial increase in wildfires, with fire counts doubling (a 114% increase) and fire radiative power surging by 8.4 × 106 MW compared to the early 21st century. Over 93% of this increase occurred during the boreal summer months. These intensified wildfires led to a significant rise in aerosol emission (organic carbon, PM2.5, and black carbon) exceeding 75% in East Siberia. Consequently, fire-season AOD in the Siberian Arctic increased by 33% (6.0 × 10−2), with 85% (5.1 × 10−2) attributable to wildfire changes. The wildfire-associated increase in AOD resulted in enhanced clear-sky dimming of 4.1 ± 3.2 W m−2 across the Siberian Arctic from 2000 to 2020. These findings suggest a critical feedback mechanism: a warming Arctic drives increased wildfires in Siberia, which in turn significantly impact the Arctic surface radiative budget through enhanced clear-sky dimming. Future simulations and projections for the Arctic should prioritize incorporating the feedback effects of intensifying wildfires.

Large transboundary health impact of Arctic wildfire smoke

Rapid warming at high latitudes, particularly in Siberia, has led to large wildfires in recent years that cause widespread smoke plumes. These fires lead to substantial deterioration in summer air quality in the region, with a factor 4 increase in summer fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in parts of Siberia during 1998–2020. Exposure to PM2.5 is associated with increased risk of mortality due to cardiovascular and respiratory disease, and the atmospheric lifetime of PM2.5 means that it can be efficiently transported between regions and nations. We used the Community Earth System Model to quantify the fraction of PM2.5 attributed to high latitude wildfires that occur in the Arctic Council member states and estimated the attributable health impact locally and in neighbouring countries. During 2001–2020 we attribute ~21,000 excess deaths to Arctic Council wildfires on average each year, of which ~8000 occur in countries outside the Arctic Council. Our analysis shows that the health impact of Arctic wildfires decreased during 2001–2020, despite the increase of wildfire-sourced PM2.5, which we suggest is due to a northwards shift in the average latitude of Siberian wildfires, reducing their impact on more densely populated regions.

Comprehensive Impact of Changing Siberian Wildfire Severities on Air Quality, Climate, and Economy: MIROC5 Global Climate Model’s Sensitivity Assessments

AbstractWildfires emit atmospheric aerosols, affecting climate and air quality. Siberia is a known source region of wildfires. However, comprehensive knowledge regarding the impact associated with particulate matter pollution due to Siberian wildfires on climate and air quality and their effects on mortality and the economy under present and near‐future warmer atmospheric conditions remains poor. Thus, we performed model sensitivity experiments (atmospheric model and coupled atmosphere‐ocean model settings) simulating the effects of changing Siberian wildfire emissions under the present and near‐future climate conditions, using the Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate version 5 (MIROC5). Increased Siberian wildfire smoke likely caused a cooling effect in broad areas of the Northern Hemisphere and worsened the air quality near the source and in the downwind region (i.e., East Asia). The more Siberian wildfires occur, the more air pollution is present in those regions, which likely increases mortality and welfare losses there. However, the total impact of changing temperature on the gross domestic product under present and near‐future climate conditions is ambiguous. Our comprehensive results on the air quality changes due to Siberian wildfires under present and near‐future climate conditions suggest that increased efforts to limit the aerosol impact of Siberian wildfires are crucial to prevent possible excess mortality and economic losses.

Short-Term Observations of Rainfall Chemistry Composition in Bellsund (SW Spitsbergen, Svalbard)

Global warming results in increasingly widespread wildfires, mostly in Siberia, but also in North America and Europe, which are responsible for the uncontrollable emission of pollutants, also to the High Arctic region. This study examines 11 samples of rainfall collected in August in a coastal area of southern Bellsund (Svalbard, Norway). It covers detailed analysis of major ions (i.e., Cl−, NO3−, and SO42−) and elements (i.e., Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn) to Hybrid Single-Particle Langrarian Integrated Trajectory( HYSPLIT) backward air mass trajectories. The research of wildfires, volcanic activities, and dust storms in the Northern Hemisphere has permitted the assessment of their relations to the fluctuations and origins of elements. We distinguished at least 2 days (27 and 28 August) with evident influence of volcanic activity in the Aleutian and Kuril–Kamchatka trenches. Volcanic activity was also observed in the case of the Siberian wildfires, as confirmed by air mass trajectories. Based on the presence of non-sea K (nsK), non-sea sulphates (nss), and Ca (the soil factor of burned areas), the continuous influence of wildfires on rainfall chemistry was also found. Moreover, dust storms in Eurasia were mainly responsible for the transport of Zn, Pb, and Cd to Svalbard. Global warming may lead to the increased deposition of mixed-origin pollutants in the summer season in the Arctic.

Global vegetation, moisture, thermal and climate interactions intensify compound extreme events

Compound extreme events, encompassing drought, vegetation stress, wildfire severity, and heatwave intensity (CDVWHS), pose significant threats to societal, environmental, and health systems. Understanding the intricate relationships governing CDVWHS evolution and their interaction with climate teleconnections is crucial for effective climate adaptation strategies. This study leverages remote sensing, reanalysis data, and climate models to analyze CDVWHS during historical (1982–2014), near-future (2028–2060), and far-future (2068–2100) periods under two Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP; 245 and 585). Our results show that reduced vegetation health, unfavorable temperature conditions, and low moisture conditions have negligible effects on vegetation density. However, they worsen the intensity of heatwaves and increase the risk of wildfires. Wildfires can persist when thermal conditions are poor despite favorable moisture levels. For example, despite adequate moisture availability, we link the 2012 Siberian wildfire in the Ob basin to anomalous negative thermal conditions and concurrent unfavorable thermal-moisture conditions. In contrast, the Amazon experiences extreme and exceptional drought associated with unfavorable moisture conditions in the same year. A comparative analysis of Siberian and North American fires reveals distinct burned area anomalies due to variations in vegetation density and wildfire fuel. The North American fires have lower positive anomalies in burned areas because of negative anomalous vegetation density, which reduced the amount of wildfire fuel. Furthermore, we examine basin-specific variability in climate teleconnections related to compound CDVWHS, revealing the primary modes of variability and evolution of CDVWHS through climate teleconnection patterns. Moreover, a substantial increase in the magnitude of heatwave severity emerges between the near and far future under SSP 585. This study underscores the urgency for targeted actions to enhance ecosystem resilience and safeguard vulnerable communities from CDVWHS impacts. Identifying CDVWHS hotspots and comprehending their complex relationships with environmental factors are essential for developing effective adaptation strategies in a changing climate.

Vertical information of CO from TROPOMI total column measurements in context of the CAMS-IFS data assimilation scheme

Abstract. Since 2017 the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) on board ESA's Copernicus Sentinel-5 satellite (S5-P) has provided the operational carbon monoxide (CO) data product with daily global coverage on a spatial resolution of 5.5×7 km2. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) plans to assimilate the retrieved total columns and the corresponding vertical sensitivities in the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service Integrated Forecasting System (CAMS-IFS) to improve forecasts of the atmospheric chemical composition. The TROPOMI data will primarily constrain the vertical integrated CO field of CAMS-IFS but to a lesser extent also its vertical CO distribution. For clear-sky conditions, the vertical sensitivity of the TROPOMI CO data product is useful throughout the atmosphere, but for cloudy scenes it varies due to cloud shielding and light scattering. To assess the profile information, we deploy an a posteriori profile retrieval that combines an ensemble of TROPOMI CO column retrievals with different vertical sensitivities to obtain a vertical CO profile that is then a representative average for the chosen spatial and temporal domain. We demonstrate the approach on three CO pollution cases. For the so-called “Rabbit Foot Fire” in Idaho on 12 August 2018, we estimate a CO profile showing the pollution at an altitude of about 5 km in good agreement with airborne in situ measurements of the Biomass Burning Flux Measurements of Trace Gases and Aerosol (BB-FLUX) field campaign. The distinct CO enhancement in a plume aloft (length =212 km, width =34 km), decoupled from the ground, is sensed by TROPOMI but is not present in the CAMS-IFS model. For a large-scale event, we analyzed the CO pollution from Siberian wildfires that took place from 14 to 17 August 2018. The TROPOMI data estimate the height of the pollution plume over Canada at 7 km in agreement with CAMS-IFS. However, CAMS-IFS underestimates the enhanced CO vertical column densities sensed by TROPOMI within the plume by more than 100 ppb. Finally, we study the seasonal biomass burning in the Amazon. During the burning season the CO profile retrieved from the TROPOMI measurements (1–15 August 2019) agrees well with the one of CAMS-IFS with a similar vertical shape between ground and 14 km altitude. Hence, our results indicate that assimilating TROPOMI CO retrieval with different vertical sensitivities (e.g., under clear-sky and cloudy conditions) provides information about the vertical distribution of CO.

Intensive aerosol properties of boreal and regional biomass burning aerosol at Mt. Bachelor Observatory: larger and black carbon (BC)-dominant particles transported from Siberian wildfires

Abstract. We characterize the aerosol physical and optical properties of 13 transported biomass burning (BB) events. BB events included long-range influence from fires in Alaskan and Siberian boreal forests transported to Mt. Bachelor Observatory (MBO) in the free troposphere (FT) over 8–14+ d and regional wildfires in northern California and southwestern Oregon transported to MBO in the boundary layer (BL) over 10 h to 3 d. Intensive aerosol optical properties and normalized enhancement ratios for BB events were derived from measured aerosol light scattering coefficients (σscat), aerosol light-absorbing coefficients (σabs), fine particulate matter (PM1), and carbon monoxide (CO) measurements made from July to September 2019, with particle size distribution collected from August to September. The observations showed that the Siberian BB events had a lower scattering Ångström exponent (SAE), a higher mass scattering efficiency (MSE; Δσscat/ΔPM1), and a bimodal aerosol size distribution with a higher geometric mean diameter (Dg). We hypothesize that the larger particles and associated scattering properties were due to the transport of fine dust alongside smoke in addition to contributions from condensation of secondary aerosol, coagulation of smaller particles, and aqueous-phase processing during transport. Alaskan and Siberian boreal forest BB plumes were transported long distances in the FT and characterized by lower absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) values indicative of black carbon (BC) dominance in the radiative budget. Significantly elevated AAE values were only observed for BB events with &lt;1 d transport, which suggests strong production of brown carbon (BrC) in these plumes but limited radiative forcing impacts outside of the immediate region.

Long-range transport of CO and aerosols from Siberian biomass burning over northern Japan during 18–20 May 2016

High CO concentration and dense aerosol layers at 1–6 km altitude in the free troposphere were observed over Rikubetsu, Japan, in ground-based Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) and lidar measurements during 18–20 May 2016, days after intense wildfires east of Lake Baikal, Siberia. The column-averaged dry-air mole fraction of CO (XCO) was observed to be ∼150 ppb from 11:15 to 13:50 JST on 19 May, and peak aerosol optical depths (AODs) of 1.41 and 1.28 were observed at 15:40 JST 18 May and 11:20 JST 19 May, respectively. We used the HYSPLIT model to calculate five-day backward trajectories from Rikubetsu on May 18, 2016 at 2, 3 and 5 km altitude. The results show that the air parcels passed over the Siberian wildfires during 16–17 May. It was found that the high CO concentrations originated from forest fires were transported to the upper layers of Hokkaido. This will contribute to the understanding of the regional effects of air pollution in northern Japan due to air masses originating from forest fires. By combining these independent datasets such as AERONET aerosol optical thickness (AOT), MODIS fire data, and Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) total CO columns, we confirmed that the lidar measurements of enhanced aerosol concentrations and FTS measurements of maximum XCO over Rikubetsu resulted from a persistent smoke plume transported from Siberian wildfires. Relatively large-scale forest fires have been frequently occurring in Siberia recently. However, the effects of CO and other gases released from them over northern Japan are not well known. We observed high concentrations of CO over the TCCON station in Rikubetsu, Japan, which we believe to be of forest fire origin. Therefore, we analyzed it as a case study to confirm its origin and impact on the upper atmosphere over northern Japan.

Wildfire aerosol deposition likely amplified a summertime Arctic phytoplankton bloom

Summertime wildfire activity is increasing in boreal forest and tundra ecosystems in the Northern Hemisphere. However, the impact of long range transport and deposition of wildfire aerosols on biogeochemical cycles in the Arctic Ocean is unknown. Here, we use satellite-based ocean color data, atmospheric modeling and back trajectory analysis to investigate the transport and fate of aerosols emitted from Siberian wildfires in summer 2014 and their potential impact on phytoplankton dynamics in the Arctic Ocean. We detect large phytoplankton blooms near the North Pole (up to 82°N in the eastern Eurasian Basin). Our analysis indicates that these blooms were induced by the northward plume transport and deposition of nutrient-bearing wildfire aerosols. We estimate that these highly stratified surface waters received large amounts of wildfire-derived nitrogen, which alleviated nutrient stress in the phytoplankton community and triggered an unusually large bloom event. Our findings suggest that changes in wildfire activity may strongly influence summertime productivity in the Arctic Ocean.

Transport of biomass burning products from Siberian wildfires into the Arctic

The study of the long-range transport of biomass burning products from Siberian wildfires into the Arctic atmosphere during the period of 2000-2019 is presented. An analysis of the characteristics of forest fires over the past 20 years revealed an increase in radiation power of an average Siberian wildfire, which is characterized by a statistically significant linear trend of 1.7 ± 1.0% / year. A joint analysis of fire activity in Siberian forests, as well as the contents of the black carbon (BC) and carbon monoxide (CO) contents in the Arctic atmosphere, indicates that extreme fire events force the development of regional anomalies in BC and CO. Correlation between the anomalies of BC (CO) over the Russian segment of the Arctic and the number of Siberian wildfires is found to be statistically significant at the α = 0.05 level and reach the value r = 0.77 (0.48) during the summer months. Using a linear regression model, an estimate of the sensitivity of changes in the total BC content and in the volume mixing ratio of CO at the 700-hPa level in the 1.910-8 kg⋅m-2 per 1000 fires and 0.4 ppbv per 1000 fires, respectively. The results of a detailed analysis of the long-range BC transport into the Arctic during catastrophic Siberian wildfires in the summer of 2019 are presented. It is shown that the considered episode was conditioned by the features of the large-scale atmospheric circulation characteristic for the atmospheric blocking event.

The 2019 Siberian Wildfires as a Turning Point for Environmental Decision-Making in Russia

The 2019 Siberian Wildfires as a Turning Point for Environmental Decision-Making in Russia

Asymmetrical Trends of Burned Area Between Eastern and Western Siberia Regulated by Atmospheric Oscillation

AbstractWildfires in Siberian cause organic carbon released from Arctic ecosystems to the atmosphere, which further enhances greenhouse effects. However, the trends of Siberian wildfires and their mechanisms are not well understood. We show that the burned fraction trends were opposite in the eastern and western Siberia. The contrasting changes are explained by vapor pressure deficit and soil moisture inferring atmospheric and ground aridity conditions, respectively. The difference in aridity change in the eastern and western Siberia is regulated by increased positive phase of Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), which leads to reduced moisture transport to the east but increased transport to the west from the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean mainly during May–August. The growing trend of positive phase of AO and NAO will continuously lead to the asymmetrical trends of aridity condition, which could enhance wildfire in the eastern Siberia.

Evenki fire and forest ontology in the context of the wildfires in Siberia

The Siberian taiga is the homeland and source of economic, spiritual and social well-being for many indigenous Evenki mobile and settled communities, while their land rights still remain unresolved. More than 9 million hectares of forest was burnt across six Siberian and Far East regions in the summer of 2019. Siberian wildfires have been used as a political resource by different political forces inside and outside Russia, pushing local and federal authorities to strengthen their policy towards forest management. In my article, based on literary, archival, internet and field sources, a wide range of possible causes for the Siberian wildfires, varying from climate change to illegal logging is considered. Meanwhile many Evenki respondents believe global changes are caused by violation of moral laws both by indigenous and non-indigenous people. For the Evenki, the forest is a big communicating matrix in terms of connectedness, interdependence and mutual responsibility. The Evenki still regard wildfires as a punishment inflicted on humans by high spirits. The multifunctionality of fire determines its economic, cultural, spiritual, social and environmental significance in Evenki culture. Living in the forest Evenki practice careful handling of fire. My aim is to include Evenki animistic philosophy and fire management into the world debate about global environmental changes.