This is the spectacular moment a rare circle of fire was likened to a scene from Tolkien's legendarium as rescuers battled the blaze.

Aerial footage shows the massive ring-shaped wildfire blazing through a remote forest in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, on May 22.

Fire crews and airborne forest paratroopers were deployed from the Pirovsky unit and Kazachinsky forestry service to combat the advancing flames.

One firefighter said: 'This was like something from Tolkien - a real ring of fire, and we were the fellowship sent to destroy it.'

Fire officials said it took hours to bring the blaze under control due to the remote location and shifting winds. Fortunately, rainfall later helped suppress the fire's spread.

Environmental teams are still assessing the impact on local wildlife. Local media reported that no homes were damaged from the incident.

Experts said the unusual formation was likely triggered by lightning strikes hitting multiple points on the ground, creating a circular pattern that merged and spread both inward and outward.

They added that such fire rings only form under extraordinary conditions, including symmetrical wind patterns, evenly distributed vegetation, and multiple simultaneous lightning strikes on dry terrain.

Others speculated that the inner circle may have been struck first, burning only the undergrowth while leaving treetops green—either because they were damp or simply out of reach of the flames.

A wildfire analyst said that the unburnt centre may have been spared due to higher moisture levels, different plant types, or sheer luck, depending on how the fire spread.

Three additional fire sources were reported nearby, with one patch of smoke located 4.3 miles from the fiery ring.

Locals described the phenomenon as something straight out of The Lord of the Rings, with the circular blaze resembling the legendary ‘One Ring' forged in fire and symbolising immense power and destruction.

Firefighters, likened to Tolkien's fellowship, embraced their roles in an epic battle against nature's fury.

The Tolkien legend refers to the epic fantasy world created by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, centred around Middle-earth, powerful magical rings, and the struggle between good and evil.