TEMPERATURES IN Russia are set to top a scorching 40C in the next few days, dashing any hope of respite from the wildfires raging across the country.

Fires are spreading quickly as rising temperatures keep woodlands and forest areas dry. Over 17 regions east and north of Moscow have been affected by the fires, many of which have been described by the authorities as “uncontrollable”.

Watch a report from Russia Today:

The fires are raging so violently that the even sun has been blocked by rising clouds of smog across the sky.

At least 50 people have now died and over 2,000 homes have been destroyed since the fires began last month. Emergency services have been pushed to their limits, and the government has been forced to recruit volunteers to help battle the flames.

See scenes of firefighters attempting to quell the flames:

The emergency services’ response to the disaster has been poorly received by president Dmitry Medvedev, who has sacked several of his top ranking military officials after the fires destroyed a naval base just outside Moscow.

Meanwhile, concerns are growing about the possibility of the flames reaching a nuclear research facility in the central Russian city of Sarov. Over 3,000 emergency services personnel have been sent to the city, 400 kilometres east of Moscow, in the hope of protecting the site.

See some of the images from across Russia over the past few days: