Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has lifted the state of emergency in three of the Russian regions affected by wildfires, the presidential press-service said on Friday.

A scorching heat wave gripped much of European Russia from mid-June to mid-August, which, coupled with the worst drought since the 1970s, made the countryside particularly susceptible to wildfires.

On Friday, Medvedev lifted the state of emergency in the Mordovia, Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod regions and prolonged it in the Ryazan region.

Emergency measures were introduced on August 2 in the seven worst affected Russian regions.

On August 12, the president lifted the emergency measures in the Vladimir, Voronezh and Mari El regions, and extended them in the remaining four.

The wildfires in Russia have caused some 12 billion rubles ($394 million) of damage, Emergency Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Thursday.

Thousands of emergency workers and military personnel have been working round the clock for almost three weeks to fight the fires in 22 regions, which have so far left over 3,500 homeless.

A total of 515 firefighters and 96 pieces of equipment were sent to Russia from abroad to battle the fires.

MOSCOW, August 20 (RIA Novosti)