Four die as fires rage in swaths of Russia's Urals
Raging fires have consumed swaths of Russia's Urals mountains, killing at least four people, razing hundreds of homes, forcing evacuations and spurring investigations, officials said on Sunday, Reuters reports.
Wildfires are common in late spring and summer across Russia's vast forests and grassy steppes, but some recent blazes have fanned suspicions of negligence.
Regional investigative authorities have begun a criminal inquiry into a large fire that killed three people on Sunday and destroyed a number of homes and businesses.
"The spread of the fire became possible due to potential negligence on the part of responsible officials," the Kurgan investigative authorities said in a website statement.
Nine of the 13 wildfires in the region were contained, however, the TASS state news agency said. Massive fires have also engulfed the Sverdlovsk region and the Tyumen region to its south, in the Urals.
