Firefighters extinguish 2 of 4 forest fires in Russia’s Far East

Firefighters and rescuers extinguished two out of four registered forest fires in Russia's Far East over the past 24 hours, a spokesman for the regional emergencies ministry said on Friday. "Four forest fires were registered in the Khabarovsk Territory over the past 24 hours. Firefighters extinguished two of them,” the spokesman said. Over 50 people and 11 units of firefighting hardware, including nine aircraft, were involved in combating the wildfires, he added. 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.