Fourteen people have died in major forest fires in northeastern Kazakhstan, the emergency situations ministry said, the Central Asian country's highest such toll in years.

"In total, 14 bodies have been found," the ministry said in a statement on Saturday, having previously announced it was searching for trapped forest rangers as fires consumed around 600 square kilometres (148,000 acres) of land.

The ministry also stated that 316 people had been evacuated but that the situation was under control and homes safe, despite the high temperature and the changing direction of the wind hindering the response.

The ministry said in a statement on Friday that more than 600 personnel, six helicopters and 168 pieces of equipment are involved in firefighting efforts.

Residents of three villages in the Abad region were also being evacuated, while the police had organised patrols in the area to prevent looting.

Emergency minister fired amidst wildfires

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sacked emergency situations minister Yury Ilyin earlier on Saturday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered his condolences to Tokayev.

More than 1,000 people, mostly from the defence and emergency situations ministries, are taking part in the effort to put out the fires.

The wildfires have occurred due to the dry and hot weather conditions that have prevailed in the northern regions of Kazakhstan in recent days.

They were started by lightning on Thursday, according to the local authorities in the vast ex-Soviet nation.