More than 630 hectares of forest was in flames on Thursday morning in the Siberian Zabaikalsky region, with most fires caused by the careless handling of bonfires by local residents and lightning strikes, emergency officials said.
Since the fire hazard season began this year, flames have already affected a total area of more than 1, 280 hectares in Siberia, Interfax news agency reported Thursday.
Officials declared an emergency situation in the Zabaikalsky region on Wednesday, the report said, adding that fires were still ablaze in an area of 639 hectares Thursday morning.
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