Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Friday arrived in the wildfire ravaged region of Nizhny Novogorod, where more than 500 homes have been destroyed, to assess the situation.
Over the last 24 hours, 505 homes have been destroyed in the largest wildfire in the European part of Russia.
Russia's Emergencies Ministry has not received reports of human casualties from the Nizhny Novgorod region, but at least 1,662 residents have been evacuated from the areas threatened by quickly spreading fires.
The ministry has dispatched additional firefighting units and 16 aircraft and helicopters to fight wildfires in five regions of central Russia.
VYKSA, July 30 (RIA Novosti)
