Wildfires ablaze early in year due to lack of snow, posing threat to railway in Russian Far East.
230 wildfires rage in Russia’s coldest republic of Yakutia, with state of emergency declared in Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk regions.
Omsk region emergency services said number of wildfires is seven to ten times above the ‘norm’.
One man's carelessness causes 'fire tornado' which destroys 59 houses, another avoidable blaze razes 17 homes, as state of emergency called.
At least 90 left homeless in one village after raging infernos, say reports.
Elsewhere in Russia’s coldest region desperate authorities spike clouds to induce rain and tame wildfires.
Greenpeace claim authorities underestimate the scale of destruction, amid warnings of lack of resources to fight fires.
At least three are dangerously close to population centres in Irkutsk region.
Russia’s coldest region struggles to tame fires intensified by lengthy heatwave in extreme north.