View photo: 50 fire service units and 5 aircraft. Terrible fire at the Świętoszów training ground View photo: 50 fire service units and 5 aircraft. Terrible fire at the Świętoszów training ground View photo: 50 fire service units and 5 aircraft. Terrible fire at the Świętoszów training ground

(The new photos come from the Facebook profiles of OSP Ławszowa, OSP Nowogrodziec and OSP Osiecznica).

On Thursday, 50 fire service units and five firefighting aircraft battled the fire at the Świętoszów training ground. Units from Bolesławiec County and neighboring counties took part in the firefighting operation.

View photo: Burning heathland at the training ground View photo: Burning heathland at the training ground View photo: Burning heathland at the training ground

The firefighting aircraft replenished their water at the airstrip in Gozdnica. Firefighters from OSP Ruszów and the Lubusz Voivodeship handled refilling the aircraft. We thank Mr Janusz Droś from OSP Ruszów for providing photos from the aircraft refueling operation.

View photo: Firefighting aircraft replenished their water at the airstrip in Gozdnica. View photo: Firefighting aircraft replenished their water at the airstrip in Gozdnica. View photo: Firefighting aircraft replenished their water at the airstrip in Gozdnica.

The fire at the Świętoszów training ground was brought under control in the evening. Mopping-up operations are ongoing.

This is not the first time the heathland has burned. Firefighters have experience putting out this type of fire. Heathland fires are difficult to control. Dense shrubs up to one meter high can burn almost like gasoline.

Fires also generate strong winds that spread the flames. This happens as a result of rising heat. When dealing with dense shrubs, localized fire whirls several meters high may form. Extinguishing such a fire is a lengthy operation that can last many hours.