In Russia, 54 persons are reported dead in the worst fire that spread across the country. The emergencies ministry said that over 500 fires covering about 65,000 hectares of land were still ablaze. Russia has sent thousands of fire fighters to a nature reserve near the country's top nuclear research centre in Sarov where fires are ablaze dangerously close to it. Officials said the fire was spreading. The head of the emergencies ministry for the Mordovia region Major General Vyacheslav Kormilitsyn said in a statement that the fire which appeared in the eastern part of the nature reserve two days ago after lightning struck a pine tree has grown in size and presents a certain danger. The wild fire is just about 17 kilometres away from the nuclear site.United States is sending firefighting equipment to Russia to help it combat unprecedented wildfires. US President Barack Obama called his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev to express his deepest condolences over the tragic losses Russia has suffered in the recent wildfires. Obama said the US was responding to Russia's request for technical assistance in combating the fires with the USAID, Department of Defence, US Forest Service and State of California mobilising firefighting equipment and airlift to assist Russia in fighting the wildfires. US had already begun deliveries of firefighting equipment valued at approximately $2.5 million to bolster Russia's fire suppression efforts. These deliveries include water tanks, pumps, hand tools, fire-protective clothing and medical kits.