In two Russian regions in Siberia they were declared today state of emergencys, as summer fires spread amid intense heat.

The governor of Siberia’s remote Tuva region said authorities took the measure because of forest fires fueled by intense heat, strong winds and dry storms.

“Currently 23 forest fires have been recorded in the territory of the Republic. About 17,000 acres have been covered by the fire. Most of them are located in inaccessible mountainous areas,” Vladislav Kovalik, head of the Tuva region, told Telegram.

Meteorologists predict that the heat will recede in the coming days, while rain is expected in some parts of the region, he said.

“However, we cannot rely on the weather: July as a whole promises to be the most challenging month in terms of fire conditions. And we must fight for every hectare of forest,” Kovalik wrote.

In Russia’s Far East, a federal state of emergency has been declared in the Republic of Sakha, also known as Yakutia. Russia’s emergency response ministry said they were registered 107 firein more than 3,310,000 acres.

The situation is being monitored by drones, the ministry said in a Telegram post.