Some 3000 hectares of forests on fire

Over 3,000 hectares of forests are on fire in Siberia, the Emergencies Ministry’s regional center reported on Thursday. “Forty one hot spots of forest fires at an area of 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) are active. Eleven of them at an area of 1,893 hectares have been contained,” the center said. Wildfires across Russia are common, especially during dry and hot summers and in the fall. Most fires start because of the careless behavior of local residents. Two years ago forest fires devastated a number of regions in central Russia, killing over 60 people and leaving thousands homeless.