Russian President Dmitry Medvedev instructed Prosecutor General Yury Chaika to inquire into the preparedness to control fire situation and carry out fire safety measures in the regions.
Since the beginning of September, the fire situations in several Russian regions has exasperated again. Over 500 homes have burned down and 8 people died in Volgograd region; 938 people have been evacuated.
"I want the prosecutor's inquiry to wake up municipal heads," Medevedev said in time of his meeting with Chaika on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, Medvedev spoke with Russian Regional Development Minister Viktor Basargin, who is currently in Volgograd region. "He said, people told him that several sites, not territories covered with forests, have been on fire or smoldering for a long time."
"I understand that the local government may not have enough pieces of equipment, but putting up fire breaks to stave off fire outbreaks was the direct duty of the local heads. All this need an inquiry," Medvedev said.
Experts fear that strong winds could cause the new fires to spread to other regions, namely the Astrakhan Region and the republics of Tatarstan, Bashkortostan and Kalmykia, an emergencies spokesperson said earlier.
The fires that ravaged the European part of Russia in August killed over 50 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes.
The government's response to the disaster was widely criticized and the damage wreaked by the new blazes, coming just days after Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu declared the fires beaten, could provoke further criticism.
The Russian Investigative Committee said on Friday it sees signs of negligence in the actions of officials in the Volgograd region during efforts to put the fires out.
GORKI, September 4 (RIA Novosti)
