New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu (click title to entry - thank you)declared a state of emergency for New Orleans because of the marsh fire, and now it's pushing foul smelling smoke into Baton Rouge.
Mayor Landrieu said his main reason for declaring the state of emergency is to allow firefighters access to private property as they try to put out the fire that has burned nearly 2,300 acres. The fire is not an immediate threat to life or property because it's in such a remote area of eastern New Orleans, but the mayor said people will still be affected by the smoke for the next few days, especially those with health problems.
"I would ask that you to please heed the warning and take precaution," Landrieu said.
Tuesday Baton Rouge residents like Ellen Keim noticed the smoke creep into Baton Rouge....
56,000 people in all died from the effects of the smog and heat
wave
wave
Smoke from Russian fires blankets Moscow (click here)
Landmarks reduced to outlines in thick pollution and visibility down to 50 metres in some areas
A woman wears a mask in central Moscow to protect herself from smog caused by fires outside the city. Photograph: Mikhail Voskresensky/Reuters
…Vladimir Stepanov of the National Crisis Management Centre said fires were abating in the Urals and in the Volga region, but the situation remained tense around Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod. "Firefighters and rescuers did not let the fires approach populated areas," he said. "Not a single person has died over the past 24 hours."
The wildfires have so far claimed 50 lives and left more than 3,000 people homeless, prompting criticism of the official response to the crisis….
