AT LEAST 40 people have died in the wildfires raging across Russia

Flames have been spreading uncontrollably following a sweltering heatwave, which began last month and still shows no signs of letting up.

According to weather reports, temperatures in Moscow are due to hit 38C this week.

The authorities have admitted that they have lost control over some of the fires that are raging across parched regions east and south of Moscow.

Seven provinces are under a state of emergency, and tens of thousands of volunteers have been recruited to assist the 10,000 firefighters and thousands of troops already battling the flames.

The fires are spreading at a lightening speed, making them almost impossible to fight.

The video below allegedly shows a group of volunteers trying to drive back through the road they had taken just half an hour before; completely surrounded by furious orange flames, the men in the car begin to panic, screaming at other drivers to move.

One describes the experience as “like being in hell.”