#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. The head of the only fire and rescue unit No. 77 in Igarka, Dmitry Yehalov, spoke about the work of firefighters beyond the Arctic Circle. Due to the geographical and climatic features of the territory, it is impossible to call for help from neighboring settlements – there are no roads between them. 30 fighters protect the city inhabitants of the.
One of the Far North features is the polar day and polar night. In June-July, the sun does not set below the horizon, so additional light is not needed when leaving for an incident. But during the polar night – in December and January – it is needed around the clock.
“The hardest thing to put out fires, of course, is in winter. The temperature in the Far North can drop to minus 45 degrees and below. A number of difficulties are associated with this, including the freezing of fire hoses or trunks” says Dmitry Yehalov.
If the water supply stops, it can turn into sludge in the sleeves. This happens when the water source is far away from the fire and the tank truck needs time to replenish the supply. Firefighters found a way out of this situation.
“The sleeves are unhooked during the absence of water, the water is drained, and removed for a while in a warm car. When the tank truck is ready for work again, the sleeves are assembled. While water is supplied uninterruptedly, it does not freeze. Although sometimes it still happens”, the rescuer shares.
Dmitry Yehalov recalls only one such incident in his nine-year career in the North. In addition, a three-way branch may freeze – it is designed to separate the flow and regulate the amount of water that comes from the pressure line. To prevent this, the branching is sprinkled with snow, which keeps heat well. Such cases are also rare.
Igarka firefighters do not need cross-country vehicles, because there are no country houses and summer cottages there. People live in nine- and five-story buildings, where municipal services remove snow in time.
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Text: Anzhelika Stepanova, Photo: Nikolay Shchipko and the Russia Emergency Ministry for the Krasnoyarsk region’s main directorate
