Smoke from Siberian wildfires reaches North Pole for the first time in history

TORONTO -- Satellite imagery from NASA shows smoke from wildfires in the Siberian region of Russia have reached the North Pole in what the agency is calling “a first in recorded history.”

The images from NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) taken on Aug. 6, show smoke blanketing 3,200 kilometres from east to west and 4,000 kilometres from north to south, effectively covering most of Russia.

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“This week, wildfire smoke has travelled more than 3,000 km from Yakutia to reach the North Pole, a feat that appears to be a first in recorded history,” NASA wrote in the article.

Smoke from the fires could also be seen in Nunavut, western Greenland and Mongolia, NASA added.

The smoke is coming from severe wildfires in the Sakha-Yakutia republic, Russia’s largest territory and area known to be one of the coldest places in the world during the winter months.

As of Sunday, 155 active wildfires were still burning in region, while two villages totalling 3,200 residents had to be evacuated.

On Monday, the United Nations released a scathing report that predicted worse heat waves, droughts and flash flooding unless humansd rastically cut down their emissions.

With files from The Associated Press  

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  Satellite imagery from NASA shows smoke from wildfires in the Siberian region of Russia have reached the North Pole in what the agency is calling “a first in recorded history.” (NASA)