The incident occurred on Sunday, March 17, in the afternoon. Firefighters were dispatched to a fire in wasteland between the towns of Brzeźnik and Mierzwin.
The operation lasted approximately two hours. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
Firefighters from Bolesławiec, Ocice, Nowogrodziec and Brzeźnik took part in the operation.
Every year, firefighters battle the phenomenon of grass burning. Most such incidents occur in March and April. In Poland, 149,434 fires were recorded in 2018, including 48,767 grass fires in meadows and agricultural wasteland, accounting for approximately 33% of all fires in Poland.
The Ministry of the Interior and Administration’s “Stop Grass Fires” information campaign aims to raise public awareness of the negative effects of burning grass. On the specially prepared website www.stoppozaromtraw.pl, you can find, among other things, statistics on the harmful effects of grass burning, as well as the negative consequences of such incidents.
It should be remembered that after winter, grass is dry and catches fire very quickly. According to fire service information, a fire can spread at more than 20 km/h (for comparison, fast running is nearly 19 km/h, while fast cycling is approximately 30 km/h).
Wind also helps fire spread. It is impossible to control the blaze and the extent and direction of grass burning on one’s own—fires very often spread to nearby forests and buildings at an extremely rapid pace. Humans are responsible for more than 94% of the causes of such fires.
Importantly, people repeatedly lose everything they own in such fires. They also pose a direct threat to the health and lives of people and animals.
Moreover, meadow and forest fires cause enormous material losses. The work of many generations is often lost in smoke. The estimated losses resulting from grass fires that occurred in 2018 amounted to PLN 32,956,500. The average duration of a grass-fire firefighting operation is 52 minutes.
In 2018, firefighters went out to grass and agricultural-wasteland fires, on average, every 10 minutes.
What are the penalties for burning grass?
Burning grass is punishable by law. The ban on burning grass is set out in the following legal acts:
- The Nature Conservation Act of April 16, 2004 (Journal of Laws 2018, item 142):
- Article 131(12): “It is prohibited to burn meadows, pastures, wasteland, ditches, roadside strips, railway tracks, reed beds and marsh vegetation”
- Article 131: “Anyone who burns meadows, pastures, wasteland, ditches, roadside strips, railway tracks, reed beds or marsh vegetation is subject to arrest or a fine”
- The Forests Act of September 28, 1991 (Journal of Laws 2017, item 788):
- Article 30(3)(3): “In forests and forested areas, as well as within 100 meters of the forest boundary, activities and actions that may cause danger are prohibited, in particular: lighting fires outside places designated for this purpose by the forest owner or forest district manager, using an open flame, burning the topsoil and plant remains”
Severe sanctions apply to offenses of this kind:
- Article 82 of the Petty Offenses Code of May 20, 1971 (Journal of Laws 2018, item 618):
- arrest, reprimand or a fine which, pursuant to Article 24 § 1, may range from PLN 20 to PLN 5,000
- Article 163 § 1 of the Criminal Code of June 6, 1997 (Journal of Laws 1997, No. 88, item 553, as amended): “Anyone who causes an event that endangers the life or health of many people or property on a large scale, in the form of a fire, is subject to imprisonment for between one and 10 years.”