According to the fire brigade, at least five people died in large forest fires in the Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk in eastern Russia.
The fires have now affected several towns in twelve districts in the region, the Interfax news agency said on Saturday, citing regional civil protection.
Most of the victims were in the town of Talashanka, around 200 kilometers north of the city of Krasnoyarsk.
Three people, including two children, are said to have fallen victim to the flames there.
Another two people died in the village of Nikolsk, 300 kilometers west of Krasnoyarsk.
Burning houses and farm buildings are reported in numerous other towns.
Among other things, two sawmills burned down in the region.
Because of the violent forest fires, the Krasnoyarsk region has declared a state of emergency.
The extinguishing work is made more difficult by strong winds with gusts of up to 40 meters per second.
The fire was partly started by trees falling on high-voltage lines, which caused a short circuit, authorities said.
The regional administration has set up emergency shelters for residents of the affected areas.