EXPLAINER: What is fueling Russia's 'unprecedented' fires?

Thousands of wildfires engulf broad expanses of Russia each year, destroying forests and shrouding territories in acrid smoke

MOSCOW -- Thousands of wildfires engulf broad expanses of Russia each year, destroying forests and shrouding territories in acrid smoke. Northeastern Siberia has experienced particularly massive fires this summer amid record-setting heat. Many other regions across the vast country also have battled wildfires. These are some of the factors behind Russia's endemic wildfires and their consequences. — RECORD HEAT