Wildfires Rage in Russia, Spain, the U.S. and Canada

While we read and hear about forest fires in the U.S. and Canada, the same unusually hot weather is taking its toll around the globe.

In Russia, forest fires have broken out in the Chelyabinsk region close to the border with Kazakhstan, as well as in north-eastern Siberia. The Ministry of Emergency Situations said it has deployed aircraft and a helicopter to fight the fires, as well as 240 personnel to Chelyabinsk where two large villages have been evacuated. Russia’s coldest inhabited region, Yakutia, is now in the third year of unusually intense fires and around 300 are now burning.

In the southern Spanish province of Malaga, fire crews have been battling a fire since the early hours of Friday near the small town of Jubrique. It quickly spread to 300 hectares burning through pine, chestnut and cork trees, according to local reports. Some 13 families were forced to evacuate. Windy conditions made efforts to extinguish the blaze difficult with dozens of firefighters trying to control the blaze.

Closer to home, in northern California, which is enduring scorching temperatures, lightning strikes have sparked fires. Hundreds of firefighters aided by aircraft are fighting the Beckwourth Complex near the border with the Nevada. So far less than 10% of the fire is being reported contained.