The death toll from the fires has risen to 40 with 90 percent recorded in Nizhny Novgorod, said the Ministry of Health.

Homes have been burnt in 14 regions of Russia, the worst-hit being Nizhny Novgorod, Voronezh and Ryazan.

The state of emergency was announced in a decree that also restricted public access to the regions affected.

Moscow is again shrouded in smoke from peat and forest fires outside the city. The fires, caused by record temperatures and a drought, have affected  the country heavily.