Some of the thousands of forest fires affecting Russia since the spring may have been started deliberately by timber thieves, the authorities say.
About 5,000 square miles of forest have been hit by blazes fuelled by dry weather.
In the country’s far east, authorities have reported more than 2,500 fires of which 1,140 have been blamed on human ignition, either accidental or deliberate.
Russian president Vladimir Putin said some fires were started deliberately as a result of competition for control over forests or to help cover the theft of timber.
