Wildfire area spreads in Siberia from 560 hectares to 1,500 hectares in the past twenty-four hours-15th May 2011

The area affected by wildfires raging in Siberia has expanded by 560 hectares to 1,500 hectares in the past twenty-four hours, the Emergencies Ministry reported on Sunday.

"There are 106 hotbeds of wildfires on a total area of 1,492.6 hectares in Siberia," the ministry said.

Firefighters have localized 52 wildfires on an area of 988 hectares in the past twenty-four hours. The cause of forest fires is the activity of local residents, the ministry said.

"Overall, 2,300 people and 534 pieces of equipment have been involved in the fire-fighting effort in the past twenty-four hours," the ministry said.

A large number of wildfires have also been registered in the Trans-Baikal Territory, the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Republics of Tyva and Buryatia, the Tomsk and Irkutsk Regions, the ministry said.

Wildfires devastated a number of regions in central Russia last summer, killing 62 people and leaving thousands homeless. Read More