Over 500 fires raging in Russia

70 new fires have emerged in Russia's forests over the past 24 hours, the information department of the Russian Emergencies Ministry informed RIA Novosti on Tuesday.

A total of 511 fires are currently registered in the country. Since yesterday the fire embraced nearly 18,000 hectares of forests. Over 7 thousand and 660 people, 1 thousand and 150 items of land-based equipment and 52 aircraft participate in the elimination of the fires.

The most intensive fires are registered in the Far Eastern and Siberian forests - 98 in the Chita region, 160 - in the Irkutsk region and 77 - in Buryatia.