Fires are raging through Russia, wiping out villages and leaving hundreds of people homeless.

Pattaya1st August 2010 [Russia] As fires rage through the town of Veronezh, 500km south of Moscow, Russia has mobilized 240,000 people to battle the fires that have spread through 14 of Russia's 83 regions killing at least 30 people so far.

The military and firefighters have joined forces with the use of 25,000 engines, but with temperature forecasted to reach 40c (104f) in some areas, more fires are predicted. Forests and villages have been swallowed up in the blaze, but officials say they are now in control of the situation.

Many thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes, while internet users across the country have complained bitterly that the fight to quell the fires have been concentrated on Moscow at the expense of surrounding regions.