Siberian forest fire area shrinks by 50% over past 24 hours

The area affected by forest fires in Siberia has decreased by almost 50 percent in the last twenty-four hours to 1,341 hectares, the Emergencies Ministry said on Sunday. "Satellite monitoring and aircraft surveillance registered a total of 48 forest fires (a reduction by seven wildfires) on an area of 1,341 hectares in Siberia as of July 17 (a decrease by 1,215 hectares), of which 11 wildfires have been localized on an area of 308 hectares," the ministry said. The wildfires pose no threat to populated areas, the ministry said. Russia is trying 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.