A total of 323 new wildfires were registered across Russia in the past 24 hours, a spokesman for the Russian Emergencies Ministry said on Tuesday. "As many as 776 wildfires, including 57 peat-bog fires, were reported in Russia. A total of 323 new fires were registered in the past 24 hours, of which 247 have been extinguished," Itar-Tass quoted the spokesman as saying. According to the ministry data, a total of 529 wildfires are currently ravaging on an area of 172,300 hectares, against Monday's 460 fires (115,000 hectares). The bulk of fires (378) have been contained on an area of 127,600 hectares, although 70 big fires are still ravaging on an area of 117,000 hectares, the spokesman said. As many as 57 new peat-bog fires were reported in the past 24 hours, of which 56 have not yet been put out. The majority of peat-bog fires (51) are registered in the Moscow region. Three peat-bog fires were reported in the Kirov region, one - in the Ivanovo regions, one - in the Sverdlovsk region, and another one in Vologda region. More than 155,700 fire fighters and more than 25,000 pieces of hardware, including 20 planes and helicopters of the Emergencies Ministry, are involved in fire fighting operations.
