President Dmitry Medvedev has instructed local authorities to provide people who lost homes with new housing.

“After this unusually hot summer will be a cold winter. So we need at least to provide people with temporary housing and immediately start the construction of permanent homes. Both the Russian government and the regional administrations should certainly reserve resources to finance these needs,” he said.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has arrived in the Nizhny Novgorod region to talk to local residents and ensure that the destroyed villages are rebuilt.

"We will use heavy machinery to flatten the destroyed areas and build brand-new modern villages. The deadline is November 1, 2010," Putin promised.

Five billion roubles from the federal budget will be allocated to rebuilding regions that have been ravaged by fire.

Over 600 hectares of forest have caught fire across the country this week, and that looks likely to increase in the coming days.

Vladimir Markin from the Prosecutor's Office says the officials' handling of the situation will be investigated.

“Because forest fires have spread and killed people, destroyed and damaged buildings, the Central Investigation Committee at the Russian Prosecutor’s Office has instructed the heads of local investigation departments to assess the actions, or lack of action, of officials, which have resulted in such serious consequences,” he said. “Upon the result of these inspections, decisions will be made according to the Russian Criminal Procedure Code,” he added.

While firefighters are desperately seeking ways to contain the flames, Russian test pilot Aleksandr Akimenkov says the answer could be artificial climate change.

Russia has used planes to disperse clouds for special occasions and emergency situations. He claims the method could help bring rain to help tackle the wildfires.

“Dispersing clouds may not really be a job for the air force, but aviation can provide a solution until we find another way. Regarding the Chernobyl explosion, our crews hampered the rains and helped stop the spread of radioactive substances throughout the Soviet Union. It could work well in the present draught,” he believes.

To help the fire victims, activists from the “Starost v Radost” movement are collecting bed clothing, mattresses, summer and winter clothes, towels, dishware, frying pans, kettles, household appliances, lamps, food, kit furniture, and any other things people might need in such a situation.

If you want to help, please leave donations at the concierge’s post at 5/13 Smolenskaya Naberezhnaya, first entrance from 8 a.m. till 11 p.m.

For more details, contact Liza Oleskina at +7-903-507-21-17.