Smoke from the fires has swept as far as Moscow, cloaking the city in a veil of smog, 30 July 2010. BBC

Smoke from the fires has swept as far as Moscow, cloaking the city in a veil of smog, 30 July 2010. BBC

In pictures: Russia fires A burnt-out car sits in front of a destroyed house in the village of Mokhovoye, some 130 kilometers from Moscow on July 31, 2010. Hundreds of thousands of firefighters, including army troops, battle forest fires raging across central Russia in the worst heatwave for decades, destroying houses and killing more than 30 people. A total of 238,000 firefighters are battling the flames in 14 regions, along with 226 aircraft, the emergency ministry said Saturday, calling the situation under control. AFP

A burnt-out car sits in front of a destroyed house in the village of Mokhovoye, some 130 kilometers from Moscow on July 31, 2010. Hundreds of thousands of firefighters, including army troops, battle forest fires raging across central Russia in the worst heatwave for decades, destroying houses and killing more than 30 people. A total of 238,000 firefighters are battling the flames in 14 regions, along with 226 aircraft, the emergency ministry said Saturday, calling the situation under control. AFP

Picture Gallery: Russia Fires (July 30)