At least 48 people have died after hundreds of wildfires sparked by record heat waves in western Russia wiped out many forests and villages. <br /><br />Firefighters continue to battle the blazes but the mission is proving to be a massive challenge for as soon as one fire is extinguished, another is ignited. <br /><br />Vladimir Putin, Russia's prime minister, has declared the situation "tense and dangerous", while Dmitry Medvedev, the president, cut short a holiday to hold emergency talks on the fires.<br /><br />Al Jazeera's Neave Barker reports from the Moscow region, where he visits a burnt down village. <br /><br />[Auguest 3, 2010]
