Russia's forest-fire control zones and federal fire-service funding

What happened

1. 2015Order No. 426 adds control zones to the Rules for Extinguishing Forest Fires (8 Oct)
2. 2019State Duma bill No. 766522-7 would bar stopping suppression on cost grounds
3. 2019Ministry of Natural Resources proposes moving zone decisions to the federal level (15 Aug)
4. 2020Rosleskhoz reports that zones shrank by 88 million ha since 2019, to 532 million ha (June)
5. 2022Order No. 244 approves new Rules for Extinguishing Forest Fires (1 Apr)
6. 2022Presidential Decree No. 382 on reducing forest-fire area (15 Jun)
7. 2023Accounts Chamber publishes its audit of forest monitoring and fire protection (27 Apr)
8. 2023Federal Law No. 343-FZ adds Forest Code Article 51.1 (24 Jul)
9. 2023Rosleskhoz Order No. 1174 sets criteria for control zones (27 Dec)
10. 2025Government announces about RUB 3bn to compensate 11 regions’ suppression costs (4 Dec)
11. 2026Government Order No. 2740-r allocates reserve-fund subventions (30 Sep)
12. 2026Avialesookhrana lists no fires with suppression stopped at 00:00 Moscow time (18 Oct)

What was said

“Fires in control zones are under constant observation by regional fire units and monitored from space.”

“Full abolition of control zones would require a multiple increase in forces and resources.”

“Sector reporting gives no objective information on damage; as burned area rose 2.2 times over five years, reported damage fell 3 times.”

“However, as we see, systemic problems in this area cancel out the effect of the measures taken.”

“No legal criteria exist for designating zones or for suspension decisions; as a result about half the forest fund is in zones and refusals are taken almost automatically.”

“The so-called control zone, where for economic reasons, out of poverty, we have refused to fight fires.”

“Any forest fire spotted in the first minute can be put out with one bucket of water.”

“To some extent we were lucky with the weather.”

Where accounts differ

Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.

How it looked

Who gained

Responses on record

• Ministry of Natural Resources (May 2020): Full abolition of control zones would require a multiple increase in forces and resources. · Kommersant
• Avialesookhrana (2026): Fires in control zones are under constant observation by regional fire units and monitored from space; suspension decisions are taken by regional commissions under Order No. 244. · FBU Avialesookhrana
• Rosleskhoz (18 March 2025): Funding was increased by more than RUB 5bn, concentrated on Krasnoyarsk Krai, Zabaikalsky Krai and Yakutia (Ivan Sovetnikov, head of Rosleskhoz). · Profile

In court and with insurers

Lawsuits and rulings

1. 2015–2015Ongoing
   Order No. 426 of the Ministry of Natural Resources: control zones
   Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia (registered with the Ministry of Justice, No. 39552, 30 October 2015) · Regulatory · Ministry of Natural Resources →

   Order of 8 October 2015 amended the Rules for Extinguishing Forest Fires (Order No. 313 of 8 July 2014) to allow suppression in a control zone to be stopped or suspended when forecast costs exceed forecast harm and no settlements or economic facilities are threatened; superseded by the 2022 Rules, which kept the clause. Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia

2. 2022–2022Ongoing
   Order No. 244 of the Ministry of Natural Resources: Rules for Extinguishing Forest Fires
   Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia (registered with the Ministry of Justice, No. 69620, 12 August 2022) · Regulatory · Ministry of Natural Resources →

   In force 1 March 2023 to 1 March 2029. Zones are approved annually by 20 February in agreement with the federal body; the regional commission decides on stopping, suspending and resuming suppression and sends supporting materials to the federal headquarters, which may order a restart. Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia

3. 2023–2023Ongoing
   Federal Law No. 343-FZ: Forest Code Article 51.1 (fire zoning)
   Federal Assembly / President of Russia · Regulatory · State Duma / Federal Assembly →

   Law of 24 July 2023 gave Rosleskhoz the power to set norms and criteria for control zones; the provisions took effect on 1 January 2024. Federal Assembly / President of Russia

4. 2023–2023Ongoing
   Rosleskhoz Order No. 1174: norms and criteria for control zones
   Rosleskhoz (registered with the Ministry of Justice, No. 76778, 29 December 2023) · Regulatory · Rosleskhoz →

   Order of 27 December 2023, in force from 1 January 2024: a zone section of at least 500,000 ha; zones only in listed forest districts; “hard-to-reach” forest means road density of no more than 2 km per 1,000 ha, bogs over 30% of the area or average slope over 12 degrees; “remote” means beyond the effective helicopter radius and at least 200 km from state aerodromes and landing sites of regional aerial fire units. Rosleskhoz

5. 2019–Outcome not on record
   State Duma bill No. 766522-7 (ban on stopping suppression on cost grounds)
   State Duma of Russia · Regulatory · Deputies S.M. Mironov, O.A. Nilov, M.V. Emelyanov and O.V. Shein →

   Bill of 2019 would have added Forest Code Article 53.4 barring the stopping or suspension of suppression in a control zone even where costs exceed forecast harm. The explanatory note named Order No. 426 (2015) as “one of the causes” of the growing burned area. The 2022 Rules in force keep the cost-against-harm clause. State Duma deputies Mironov, Nilov, Emelyanov, Shein

6. 2022–2022Ongoing
   Presidential Decree No. 382: reduction of forest-fire area
   President of Russia · Regulatory · President of Russia →

   Decree of 15 June 2022 required a reduction of forest-fire area on forest-fund land of at least 50% in 2022–2030 relative to 2021, and a 100% share of fires put out on the first day by 2030 (governors). President of Russia

7. 2026–2026OngoingRUB 3.82bn reserve-fund subventions (RUB 3,819,829.9 thousand)
   Government Order No. 2740-r: reserve-fund subventions for regions’ suppression costs
   Government of Russia · Administrative · Government of Russia →

   Order of 30 September 2026 allocated reserve-fund subventions to Rosleskhoz for regions’ costs under emergency regimes, plus RUB 141,152.5 thousand to Krasnoyarsk Krai for aerial monitoring (620.34 extra flight hours); Rosleskhoz to report on use by 1 April 2027. Government of Russia

Insurers

What nature saw

Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.

What we don't know

Sources

Connected cases

• Siberian wildfire season of 2019: Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk and Yakutia Russia · 2019 Related matter
  • Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Russia (Minprirody) (Government) — here: Issued Order No. 426 (2015) and Order No. 244 (2022); there: Ordered revision of control zones (30 July 2019)
  • Rosleskhoz (Federal Forestry Agency) (Public authority) — here: Sets control-zone criteria; agrees regional zones in writing; there: Federal forestry agency; reported fire areas
  • Accounts Chamber of Russia (Public authority) — here: Auditor of forest monitoring and fire protection; there: Gave losses and year-end burned area
  • FBU Avialesookhrana (Aerial Forest Protection Service) (Public authority) — here: Federal aerial fire service; receives state-task subsidies; there: Federal aerial fire service; reported areas burning and in control zones
  • Government of Russia (Government) — here: Reserve-fund Order No. 2740-r (2026); Decree No. 382 issued by the President; there: Prime Minister ordered arson checks (1 August 2019)
  • Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Greenpeace Russia: commentary and satellite-based estimates; there: Greenpeace Russia: funding and damage-accounting commentary
• Yakutia wildfire season of 2021: burned area and emissions Russia · 2021 Related matter
  • Rosleskhoz (Federal Forestry Agency) (Public authority) — here: Sets control-zone criteria; agrees regional zones in writing; there: Reported national fire area and fires
  • Accounts Chamber of Russia (Public authority) — here: Auditor of forest monitoring and fire protection; there: Reported national burned area and causes of fire in Yakutia
  • FBU Avialesookhrana (Aerial Forest Protection Service) (Public authority) — here: Federal aerial fire service; receives state-task subsidies; there: Federal aerial fire service; source of the 9.4 million ha total
  • Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Greenpeace Russia: commentary and satellite-based estimates; there: Greenpeace Russia: satellite-based area and commentary
• Arctic Sunrise seizure at the Prirazlomnaya platform: ITLOS bond, PCA arbitration, 2019 settlement and ECtHR judgment Russia · 2012–2023
  • Government of Russia (Government) — here: Reserve-fund Order No. 2740-r (2026); Decree No. 382 issued by the President; there: Respondent; did not appear before ITLOS or the PCA tribunal; settled in 2019
  • Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Greenpeace Russia: commentary and satellite-based estimates; there: Greenpeace Russia: contested the platform's spill-response plan
  • WWF Russia (NGO) — here: Commentary on zones and funding; there: Commented in 2013 on the lack of a spill-response plan for ice conditions
• Baikalsk Pulp and Paper Mill: closure and waste clean-up Russia · 1966–2026
  • Accounts Chamber of Russia (Public authority) — here: Auditor of forest monitoring and fire protection; there: Audited clean-up budget execution
  • Government of Russia (Government) — here: Reserve-fund Order No. 2740-r (2026); Decree No. 382 issued by the President; there: Decree No. 1; funded wages and clean-up; named contractors
  • Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Greenpeace Russia: commentary and satellite-based estimates; there: Co-applicant against Decree No. 1 (Greenpeace Russia)
• ESPO oil pipeline rerouted away from the Baikal shore (2006) Russia · 2005–2008
  • Government of Russia (Government) — here: Reserve-fund Order No. 2740-r (2026); Decree No. 382 issued by the President; there: President ordered the reroute; Prime Minister approved the route
  • Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Greenpeace Russia: commentary and satellite-based estimates; there: Co-authored a report on the pipeline's harm (Greenpeace Russia)
  • WWF Russia (NGO) — here: Commentary on zones and funding; there: Co-authored a report on the pipeline's harm
• Hardwood logging in the Russian Far East and exports to China Russia · 2001–2023
  • Rosleskhoz (Federal Forestry Agency) (Public authority) — here: Sets control-zone criteria; agrees regional zones in writing; there: Federal forestry agency; gave detected-volume figures
  • Government of Russia (Government) — here: Reserve-fund Order No. 2740-r (2026); Decree No. 382 issued by the President; there: Officials' statements 2020 and 2023
  • WWF Russia (NGO) — here: Commentary on zones and funding; there: Author of the 2013 report on illegal logging in the Russian Far East
• Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics: environmental pledges and the Mzymta valley Russia · 2007–2018
  • Government of Russia (Government) — here: Reserve-fund Order No. 2740-r (2026); Decree No. 382 issued by the President; there: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements
  • Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Greenpeace Russia: commentary and satellite-based estimates; there: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia)
  • WWF Russia (NGO) — here: Commentary on zones and funding; there: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010
• Avacha Bay marine die-off, Kamchatka, autumn 2020 Russia · 2020–2022
  • Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Greenpeace Russia: commentary and satellite-based estimates; there: NGO; Greenpeace Russia satellite analysis
  • WWF Russia (NGO) — here: Commentary on zones and funding; there: NGO commenting on data publication