Firefighters extinguish 50 forest fires across Russia

Firefighters have extinguished 50 forest fires in various regions of Russia in the past twenty-four hours, the Federal Forestry Agency said on Sunday. "As of the morning of September 25, 2011, 40 wildfires were registered in Russia. The area affected by forest fires has increased by 1,713 hectares in the past twenty-four hours," the agency said. The worst affected area is the Siberian Federal District with 36 wildfires. Two forest fires are raging in the Amur Region in the Russian Far East on an area of 31 hectares, the agency said. Russia took decisive measures in the 2011 summer season to prevent the developments of last summer, when an enormous heat wave in the country's European part caused massive wildfires, which killed 62 people and left thousands homeless. Wildfires in forested regions of Russia are common during the dry and hot summer season. Most of the time, the fires start because of the careless behavior of local residents in the woods.