Three die as raging fires consume swaths of Russia’s Urals

At least three people have died in raging fires that have consumed swaths of Russia’s Urals mountains, destroying hundreds of houses, forcing evacuations
and prompting a number of investigations, officials said on Sunday.
Minister of Emergency Situations Alexander Kurenkov flew to the Kurgan region in Russia’s south early on Monday, where wildfires have spread to a number of settlements.
“A difficult situation has developed,” Kurenkov said in a post on the ministry’s Telegram channel.
The Kurgan region’s investigative committee opened a criminal investigation into a large-scale fire that killed three on Sunday and destroyed a number of houses and local businesses.
“The spread of the fire became possible due to potential negligence on the part of responsible officials,” the committee said in a statement posted on its website.
Six of the 13 wildfires in the region were contained, Russia’s TASS state news agency reported.