300-hectare blaze prompts Poland to step up firefighting efforts

Emergency services have intensified efforts to control a massive forest fire near Poland’s border with Ukraine, deploying hundreds of firefighters, police, and soldiers, while strong winds and thick smoke hinder operations that have already claimed the life of a pilot.

The inferno in Biłgoraj county, Lublin province, broke out on Tuesday and spread quickly, burning through about 300 hectares of woodland in Solska Forest by Wednesday afternoon, News.Az reports, citing TPV World.

Late on Tuesday, a firefighting aircraft, deployed to dampen the blaze, crashed to earth during the operation, killing the pilot. The exact causes of the crash, which occurred around 9 pm, have not been disclosed. 

More than 100 fire service units – including 372 firefighters – as well over 100 police officers and 50 soldiers from Poland’s Territorial Defense Force were involved in the emergency response by Wednesday evening. 

Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said following an emergency government meeting that the firefighting situation remained difficult. Firefighters were setting up another firebreak as wind gusts of up to 60 km per hour caused the fire to spread. 

Several helicopters and airtanker planes were also in action, with crews having already carried out hundreds of water drops. 

Authorities also warned that several nearby homes could be preventively evacuated due to dense smoke, although the distance from the flames was considered safe. 

Fire risk widens nationwide 
The huge blaze in the eastern region has prompted a nationwide discussion about wildfire risks, as Poland grapples with drought-like conditions in swathes of the country. 

Climate and Environment Minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska warned forest conditions across Poland remained very difficult, noting that 136 fires were recorded in private and state forests on Tuesday alone. 

High temperatures and unusually low forest-floor moisture are key factors in the increased fire risk, the minister said. 

Preventive measures taken nationally include bans on entering some forests and national parks, expanded monitoring and the use of surveillance drones. In Lublin province, authorities imposed a strict ban on using open fire in forests and nearby areas. 

In the southern Małopolska province, officials said forests were under constant patrol. Fire risk in the Niepołomice Forest, east of the city of Kraków, is being checked twice daily. 

Forest officials said ground moisture there was 10.2%, just above the level at which a forest entry ban would be imposed. From April 1 to May 6, Małopolska recorded 29 fire-related incidents, up from 22 in the same period last year. 

News.Az 

By Ulviyya Salmanli