Firefighters extinguish 18 forest fires in Siberia

Firefighters and rescuers extinguished 18 forest fires on the total area of over 700 hectares in Russia's Siberia over the past 24 hours, the regional department of the Russian Emergencies Ministry reported on Thursday. The department also said that firefighters continue battling remaining wildfires in the region that cover a total area of some 100 hectares. Wildfires across Russia are common during dry and hot summers and in the fall. Most fires start because of the careless behavior of local residents. Forest fires devastated a number of regions in central Russia last year, killing 62 people and leaving thousands homeless.