Nuclear town on fire, with residents 'choking' from smoke

The shoking pictures in Zheleznogorsk - a high-security closed nuclear town in Krasnoyarsk region - shows fires close to residential areas. 

Citizens of the Siberian town, established in 1950 for the production of weapons-grade plutonium, took to social media to say they were choking from wildfire smoke.

Streets were covered with thick haze after woodland caught fire.

The strong smell of smoke was felt inside flats and houses. 

Pictures that were exchanged in the local 'Accidents Zheleznogorsk' community showed how close the fire was to living areas. 

Zheleznogorsk, also known as Atom town and Iron City is 62 kilometres north-east of regional capital Krasnoyarsk. 

It is understood there is no immediate threat to the nuclear plants in the town. 

'All details about the fires are in Moscow, as Zheleznogorsk is closed city and it doesn't report to us',  a journalist from TVK6, a Krasnoyarsk-based TV company, was told by the local Ministry of Emergencies. 

A local newspaper reported that wildfires  engulfed an area of 400 hectares, apparently starting from dry grass catching fire. 

Fire brigades had to make more than 30 trips to stop the flames spreading further. 

Latest reports say the situation is  'normal', although nearby Krasnoyarsk announced regime of 'unfavourable meteorological conditions' because of heavy smoke coming from Zheleznogorsk.