As we read on the Facebook profile of OSP KSRG Nowogrodziec:

Yesterday and today, we were dispatched to a fire in wasteland in Gierałtów. Once again, the cause of the fire was the deliberate burning of rubbish dumped in the forest.

The volunteer firefighters add:

There are no words to describe the stupidity of people who dispose of waste in this way.

Let’s take care of our environment!!

Every year, firefighters combat the practice of burning grass. Most incidents of this kind 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 consequences of burning grass. On the specially prepared website, www.stoppozaromtraw.pl, visitors 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 (by comparison, fast running is nearly 19 km/h, while fast cycling is approximately 30 km/h).

Wind also helps the 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 this type of fire.

Importantly, people often lose everything they have worked for throughout their lives 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 achievements of many generations often go up in smoke. The estimated losses resulting from grass fires that occurred in 2018 amounted to PLN 32,956,500. The average duration of an operation to extinguish a grass fire is 52 minutes.

In 2018, firefighters were dispatched 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 Act of 16 April 2004 on Nature Conservation (Journal of Laws 2018, item 142):
    • Article 131, point 12: “It is prohibited to burn meadows, pastures, wasteland, ditches, roadside strips, railway lines, as well as reed beds and marshes”
    • Article 131: “Anyone who burns meadows, pastures, wasteland, ditches, roadside strips, railway lines, reed beds or marshes is subject to arrest or a fine”
  • The Act of 28 September 1991 on Forests (Journal of Laws 2017, item 788):
    • Article 30(3)(3): “In forests and forest areas, as well as within 100 metres 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 superintendent, using an open flame, burning the topsoil and plant residues”

Serious sanctions apply to such offenses:

  • Article 82 of the Act of 20 May 1971, Code of Petty Offenses (Journal of Laws 2018, item 618):
    • arrest, a reprimand or a fine which, pursuant to Article 24 § 1, may range from PLN 20 to PLN 5,000
  • Article 163 § 1 of the Act of 6 June 1997, Criminal Code (Journal of Laws 1997, No. 88, item 553, as amended): “Anyone who causes an event endangering 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.”