Fires in Russia will continue unabated in 2024. Fires at energy facilities have led to blackouts in several regions, and there has also been a noticeable increase in incidents at military facilities.
In an analysis by Molfar, we offer a detailed analysis of fires in Russia from January to April 2024. We will also compare the data with the same period last year and outline the overall trend since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Trends and Comparisons
A total of 262 fires have been recorded in Russia since the beginning of 2024. In comparison, there were 939 fires throughout 2023 (excluding domestic fires). This indicates that from January to April this year, nearly 30% of the total number of fires from last year occurred. Let's examine this in more detail.
We observe that in February and March 2024, the number of fires significantly decreased. This decline may be related to seasonal factors. However, by April 2024, the statistics returned to the levels seen in the fall of 2023. Last year's May and June remain the "hottest" for Russia, with 227 fires occurring over two months. Comparing the same period from the previous year, the situation is slightly different. In January 2023, we noted 55 fires. In January 2024, this number increased to 88. On April 2023, there were 64 significant fires in Russia, while in April 2024, there were 73.
Regarding the types of fires, warehouses, and factories remain the "leaders" in the rankings throughout the observation period, starting from the beginning of the full-scale invasion. From January 2022 to April 2024, 1607 fires were in Russia. Of these, 38.6% were in factories, and 36.2% — in warehouses.
The Moscow and Leningrad regions have had the most fires since the beginning of 2022. In Moscow, there were 83 warehouse fires and 52 factory fires, and in the Leningrad region, there were 43 warehouse fires and 31 factory fires.
Since the beginning of 2024, the fire situation has been similar to the overall picture of the past two years combined. Here, we see that 42% of the fires occurred at factories. Warehouses account for 28% of the total, and around 14% — shopping malls. Slightly less than 10% of fires happened at energy infrastructure facilities. Let's compare these data with the same period in the previous year, 2023.
At the beginning of 2024, the number of fires at factories in Russia increased, while warehouse fires became less frequent. Last year, the situation was the opposite, with more warehouse fires.
From 2022 to April 2024, we recorded 1607 fires in Russia. These are only the fires that were publicly mentioned or reported in Russian media. Read more about this in our previous studies:
Q4 2023 — 125% More Fire: What Burned in Russia in 2023
Q3 2023 — Storage facilities and malls in Moscow region are on fire
Q2 2023 — Molfar analysis of Russia's hot spots for three months
Q1 2023 — The rate of fires has doubled in the last three months
20 Warehouses Burn Monthly in Russia
Since 2022, the number of fires at factories and warehouses has remained consistently high. In 2024, we see that 20 warehouses, including domestic, construction, medical, and electrical equipment warehouses, burn every month in Russia.
Since the beginning of 2024, 262 fires have been recorded at various facilities. Factory fires account for 42% of these, while warehouse fires account for 28%.
The situation in the previous quarter (end of 2023) was almost identical. However, the beginning of 2024 brought even more fires to Russia, with 262 cases compared to 228 in the previous quarter.
This season, we again see fires at military factories. At least three such fires were recorded in April 2024. In Yekaterinburg, a fire broke out on 4.5k square meters at the Uralmashzavod plant. The second fire occurred at ODK-Saturn in Rybinsk, where gas turbine engines for aviation and energy are produced and serviced. The third fire was in Voronezh at the ENIKmash-V ("ЭНИКмаш-В") plant, which specializes in the production of electrical insulation materials and transformers.
These charts show the trends of fires at different types of facilities in Russia
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About some fire incidents in Russia since the beginning of 2024
Tuva: 21 injured in a fire at the thermal power plant
170 people and 40 equipment units extinguished a fire at the Shagonarskaya TPP, Republic of Tuva. The fire broke out in the morning on March 6. As a result, 23 TPP employees were injured, and one died in the hospital. Several thousand people were left without heating.
The "Glow" over Moscow
On the night of February 13, residents in the east of Moscow reported a glow in the sky. A video was spread online showing a fire at an oil refinery owned by Gazpromneft. Russian news outlets reported that a flare at the refinery had ignited. Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations claimed that "there are no active fires in Moscow" and that "these are planned works." However, eyewitnesses reported seeing an ambulance and two fire trucks heading towards the fire.
Explosion in the Tyumen Region
An explosion occurred on March 10 on a gas pipeline in the Khanty-Mansiysk district of the Tyumen region. The glow was visible in the sky several kilometers from the explosion site. The governor and local authorities did not comment on the incident.
Power Plant Shutdown in the Rostov Region
Two power units of the Novocherkassk power plant were shut down on March 25 due to a fire. The fire started in a transformer. The governor of the Rostov region wrote about this on his Telegram channel. Later, the power plant's operation was restored.
"Novocherkasskaya GRES" is a thermal power plant in the city of Novocherkassk, Rostov region, Russia. It is the main electricity generation facility in the region, powering the entire industrial sector of the southwestern part of the region.
Transformer Production Facility Burned Down
A fire broke out at the "Uralmashzavod" on April 1 in the workshop where transformers are produced. The fire covered 4,500 square meters, and 64 rescuers and 22 units of equipment were dispatched to extinguish it. The building's roof collapsed, causing the fire to spread rapidly. At the same time, the management of "Uralmashzavod" denied that the fire occurred at their facility.
Rybinsk. Fire at the Engine Manufacturing Plant
In Rybinsk, Yaroslavl region, Russia, a fire broke out at the "ODK-Saturn" enterprise. The fire engulfed one of the production workshops, covering an area of 3 square meters. It is known that there were injuries, but Russian media did not disclose details.
ODK-Saturn (Russian: Объединенная двигателестроительная корпорация — Сатурн) is a Russian enterprise specializing in the development, production, and maintenance of gas turbine engines for aviation and energy. It is part of the "United Engine Corporation" (ODK), a subsidiary of the state corporation Rostec.
Fire at the "Electroizolit" Plant in Khotkovo
In the Moscow region, in the city of Khotkovo, 3000 square meters burned down. The roof of a production workshop caught fire, and people were evacuated from the area. No fatalities or injuries were reported. This fire likely involved the "Electroizolit" plant, which specializes in producing electrical insulation materials.
Since the beginning of 2024, 262 fires have been recorded. Fires at energy facilities have caused blackouts in several regions of Russia. The most fire incidents occurred in the Moscow and Leningrad regions, with over 20 warehouses burning monthly. These regions seem to have the most significant fire safety problems. Additionally, we observe that Russian authorities are increasingly silent about fires.
Overall, 1607 fires were in Russia from the beginning of 2022 to the end of April 2024, and this trend appears to be accelerating.
