The Zabaikalsky Krai is engulfed in large-scale forest fires that threaten populated areas and infrastructure. The situation is particularly critical in the Chita District, where the villages of Yablonovo and Sokhondo are practically surrounded by fire. According to the Russian Emergencies Ministry, as of May 14, 2025, the area of ​​forest fires in the region reached 629 thousand hectares, having increased in a day from 518 thousand, TASS reported. Since the beginning of the year, fire has destroyed more than 1 million hectares of forest, which is three times more than in 2024, when 1405 outbreaks were registered.

In Yablonovo, located 25 km from Sokhondo, the fire came to a distance of less than 1 km, spreading across the highway, which effectively isolated the village, local residents told the portal "Chita.ru". Evacuation is complicated: all access roads are in the zone of active combustion, and in some areas there is no mobile communication. In Sokhondo, the fire is 4 km from the settlement, and local authorities have redeployed Emergencies Ministry forces to protect the villages. On May 10, 130 people were evacuated from the boarding house in Yagodnoye, but a full-scale evacuation of Yablonovo has not yet been carried out, since the threat to residential buildings has not been officially confirmed.

The fires are fueled by abnormal drought, strong winds (up to 27 m/s) and high temperatures exceeding the norm by 5-7 °C, Avialesookhrana reported. The air humidity level remains critically low, and dense forest and dry grass contribute to the rapid spread of fire. The main causes of fires are arson, grass burning and unextinguished fires. Governor Alexander Osipov promised a reward of 150-250 thousand rubles for information about arsonists.

The Emergencies Ministry's aviation, including Il-76 aircraft and Mi-8 helicopters, encountered serious difficulties due to thick smoke obscuring landmarks. On May 13, the Il-76 dropped 126 tons of water in three passes, but were unable to reach the main sources, pilot Igor Orlov reported. Two fire trains arrived in Yablonovo to put out the fire, and the rescue team was reinforced by 100 people from the Krasnoyarsk and Khabarovsk regions. In total, 1656 firefighters and 250 units of equipment are working in the region.