Fires are spreading fast across vast Siberian forests in a reminder of last year's worst drought on record that killed dozens of people.
The Emergency Situations Ministry said Sunday on its web site that about 100,000 hectares of forestland was caught up in fires, mainly in the Far East as well as in the oil-rich Siberian region of Khanty-Mansiisk and nearby areas.
The European part of the country remained largely unaffected, but the authorities said the situation may worsen as dry weather persists.
(Reuters)
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