Firefighters battle 1,000 ha of forest fires in Russia's Siberia

Firefighters are battling some 30 forest fires that engulf over 1,000 hectares of woods in Russia's Siberia, the regional department of the Russian Emergencies Ministry reported on Tuesday. The department said that 39 forest fires covering an area of some 470 hectares were extinguished over the past 24 hours. Over 1,200 people and 270 units of firefighting machinery are involved in combating the raging wildfires, the ministry's department said. 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.