‘Taiga burning’ - as scared bears are driven out of their natural habitat towards settlements where they are shot as danger to people.
Plane, three fire trains and 5,000 people fighting as dry grass ignites 'like gunpowder'.
Wildfires rage around Lake Baikal with 5,000-plus emergency workers deployed.
Locals in north of Yakutia said daylight was completely gone for several hours.
Hi-tech technologies have been used to track smoke plumes from forest fires burning across eastern Russia as they cross the Pacific.
Huge damage wrought by forest fires is sparked by failure to apply safety laws, complained Yuri Chaika.
He spoke out as Premier Dmitry Medvedev was in Siberia on a trip substantially aimed at leading efforts to combat the serious forest fires.
Russians grieving over damage to magical forests surrounding Siberia's jewel.