4 killed in latest wave of forest fires in Russia

4 killed in Russian forest fires

MOSCOW — Russia’s emergencies ministry says forest fires in the country’s south have killed four people.

Forest fires plagued much of Russia during this summer’s unusual wave of withering heat and drought and cloaked Moscow in a pall of smoke in August have largely died down amid strong rains, but the southern Volgograd and Saratov regions continue to suffer.

A ministry statement on Friday said new fires in the regions flared up over the past day in more than 25 populated areas. It said four people were killed and 18 injured.

Some of the fires were sparked by high winds that caused power lines to cross, creating short circuits, the statement said.

Most of the fires had been put out by Friday morning, the ministry said.