Firefighters extinguished 14 wildfires on Sunday in Russia’s Far East, but there remain another 20 forest fires in the area.

The government told local media that 34 fires had been spotted on Saturday via satellite imaging used to monitor forest fires.

However, the Ministry for Civil Defense and emergencies, that does the monitoring, says on its website that fog or poor visibility can also create false heat-spot readings on satellite images.

A July 21, a government statement reported over 6,000 firefighters and 1,000 pieces of equipment were already involved in fighting forest fires, the cost coming to $14 million.

According to Russia’s Emergency Ministry, most summer fires are caused by the careless handling of fire while drunk, childish pranks, and improper use of electrical equipment.

“In our opinion, new fires emerge due to the human factor,” said Emergency Ministry Deputy Head Alexander M. Mironov in a government statement last week.

If citizens see a forest fire, they are encouraged to call the Emergency Ministry, which has a “mobile patrol” working to combat the scourge of the summers in Russia.

The ministry also developed new fire safety measures announced in July. Citizens are now prohibited from starting fires, setting off fireworks except in emergencies, cooking using solid fuel, and traveling into forests. Only conservation, protection, and reforestation organizations are permitted in forests.

Individuals breaking the rules are subject to a fine of $72 to $145. For legal entities the fine is higher at $14,000 to $18,000.

On July 28, a conference call was held in Russia to discuss what measure would be taken to eliminate wildfires.

During the call, First Deputy Minister of the Emergency Ministry Y.S. Trunov said that this year, there have been 16,467 fires, which is 1.3 times less than last year. But he went on to say that an “extremely dangerous situation” would remain in the north, central, and southeastern regions of Russia.

Last summer, during Russia’s worst heat wave in recorded history, over 500,000 hectares of forests were lost to wildfires, and farmland was severely affected, causing wheat prices to spike. At least 56,000 people died and another 100,000 people were left homeless, according to the United Nations World Economic and Social Survey 2011. This summer has not been as hot.