Wildfires endanger villages, fuel site, in Russia's Siberia

Wildfires in Russia’s vast Siberia region are endangering a dozen villages and prompted evacuations and other emergency precautions

MOSCOW -- Wildfires in Russia's vast Siberia region endangered a dozen villages Saturday and prompted authorities to evacuate some residents. In northeastern Siberia, 93 active forest fires burned across 1.1 million hectares (2.8 million acres) of Sakha-Yakutia, officials said, making it the worst affected region of Russia. A fire engulfed dozens of houses in the village of Byas-Kuel, and all village residents were evacuated, according to the local task force dealing with the emergency. Fires also burned close to the villages of Kytyl-Dyura, Sinsk and Yedyai, and the local government chief, Andrei Tarasenko, said that a total of 12 settlements are currently under threat. High winds exacerbated the danger of flames spreading quickly.