Officials: Fires outside Moscow drop to 16 overnight, blazes elsewhere also falling

Fires around Moscow reduce, area ablaze falling

MOSCOW — Emergency officials say the number of wildfires outside Moscow has nearly halved overnight and nationwide the overall area ablaze continues to fall.

Authorities hope they are witnessing the tail end of weeks of ferocious wildfires across central and western Russian, which have killed more than 50 people and displaced hundreds amid the worst heat wave on record.

Heavy downpours cooled Moscow this week after days of choking smog from the fires shrouded the city, prompting residents and tourists to put on facemasks just to venture outside.

Officials have warned winds could bring the smog back to the city, and while Moscow was clear on Saturday a burning smell lurked in the air.

The fires have destroyed provincial towns and villages, and together with the drought have cost Russia a third of its wheat crop.