Moscow, Russia (CNN) -- Wildfires in Russia, among the worst ever there, have killed 25 people, destroyed more than 1,000 homes, and prompted the prime minister to call on local officials to resign, response officials and Russian news agencies reported Friday.
The fires have been raging in five regions as Russia endures dry weather and one of the hottest months on record. Thursday saw Moscow reach 102 Fahrenheit (39 Celsius), the highest temperature since records began in 1879.
The fires are the worst ever to hit the European part of Russia, the region west of the Ural Mountains, the RIA-Novosti news agency said.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said there have been 21,690 fires so far this summer, 10 percent more than last year, the news agency reported.
President Dmitry Medvedev ordered the Defense Ministry on Friday to use the military to help tackle the fires, the president's spokeswoman, Natalya Timakova, told the Interfax news agency.
CNN
