Strong winds and dry weather are fueling rapidly spreading wildfires across Russia’s Zabaikalsky region, with over 456,000 hectares burning and firefighters racing to protect populated areas.

On Wednesday, local monitors recorded the highest pollen count in five years, an off-the-charts 963 grains per cubic meter. By comparison, a high pollen count is anything over 90. The count soared to 1,280 as of Thursday.

A small fire broke out at the Yellowknife landfill on April 22, likely ignited by improperly disposed electronics, but was quickly extinguished by city staff and the Yellowknife Fire Division.