As Fires Continue to Burn, Carbon Monoxide Levels Soar Over Russia

This NASA satellite image, compiled using sensors that measure pollution in the troposphere, shows that carbon monoxide levels have reached high levels in Western Russia as forests and peat bogs have burned during the nation’s worst heat wave in history. The image shows levels of carbon monoxide — a product of fire and a component of smoke — from Aug. 1 to Aug. 8, with highest levels of the gas in red and lower levels in orange and yellow. The satellite measured concentrations of carbon monoxide in the troposphere, 1 to 5 miles above the ground, but readings in places such as Moscow showed similarly elevated levels, reaching six times concentrations considered safe for human health. Carbon monoxide limits the amount of oxygen that blood carries through the body, causing respiratory and cardiovascular problems. A stiff wind partially cleared skies over Moscow Wednesday and federal officials said firefighters had managed to reduce the area burning in western Russia to 358 square miles, but record high temperatures are expected to persist for at least another week. The heat wave and fires have stunned Russia, but some experts doubt the summer’s events will change the government’s lackluster record on climate change.