Firefighters Respond Every Day to Extinguish Burning Grass

Over the past weekend, firefighters were called to extinguish grass fires in, among other places, Nowogrodziec, Ocice, Nowe Jaroszowice and Warta Bolesławiecka. On Monday (21 March), the fire service received another report of a grass fire. This time, a fire was burning in Tomaszów Bolesławiecki. Several fire service units fought the blaze.

In Poland, 153,520 fires were recorded in 2019, including 55,912 grass fires in meadows and agricultural wasteland, accounting for approximately 36.4% of all fires in Poland. According to stoppozaromtraw.pl, the largest number of grass fires was recorded in March and April—31,720 in total, accounting for 56.7% of all grass fires in 2019.

In 2019, 55,912 grass fires occurred. More than 24,151 hectares of grassland burned.

Stoppozaromtraw.pl:

The transition from winter to spring is a period when the number of fires in meadows and agricultural wasteland rises markedly. This is caused by the burning of dry grass and plant residue. Areas of dried-out vegetation from the previous year are excellent fuel, and combined with human irresponsibility, this leads to a rapid increase in fires. People are responsible for most grass fires. Unfortunately, many people believe that burning dry grass naturally enriches the soil, causing young grass to grow faster and more abundantly and thereby bringing economic benefits.

How quickly does such a fire spread?

A fire can spread at more than 20 km/h (a fast run is almost 19 km/h, while fast cycling is approximately 30 km/h). Wind also helps the flames spread. When wind speeds are high and its direction changes suddenly, fires very often get out of control and spread to nearby forests and buildings.

Importantly, during a forest fire, animals panic. Many lose their bearings and run straight into the flames!

Are people also among those injured?

National Headquarters of the State Fire Service:

People repeatedly lose everything they have worked for throughout their lives in such fires. There is also a direct threat to the health and lives of people and animals.

What are the economic consequences of grass fires?

Meadow and forest fires cause enormous material losses. The accumulated property of many generations often goes up in smoke. Estimated losses resulting from grass fires that occurred in 2019 amounted to PLN 40,974,800. The average duration of a grass-fire firefighting operation is 54 minutes.

In 2018, firefighters were called to grass and agricultural-wasteland fires, on average, every nine minutes.

Is burning grass legal?

Firefighters:

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(12): “It is prohibited to burn meadows, pastures, wasteland, ditches, roadside strips, railway lines, reed beds and marsh vegetation.”
  • Article 131: “Anyone who burns meadows, pastures, wasteland, ditches, roadside strips, railway lines, reed beds or marsh vegetation 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 district manager, using open flames, burning the topsoil and plant residue.”

What are the penalties for burning grass?

• Article 82 of the Act of 20 May 1971, the Code of Petty Offences (Journal of Laws 2018, item 618)—a penalty of arrest, reprimand or a fine, which under Article 24(1) may range from PLN 20 to PLN 5,000.
• Article 163(1) of the Act of 6 June 1997, the Criminal Code (Journal of Laws 1997 No. 88, item 553, as amended): “Anyone who causes an event that threatens the lives or health of many people or property on a large scale, taking the form of a fire, is subject to imprisonment for between one and 10 years.”

Losses Affect More Than Property

National Headquarters of the State Fire Service:

In 2019, during rescue operations involving the extinguishing of grass fires, 183,412,171 litres of water were used, equivalent to the capacity of 49 Olympic-size swimming pools. Grass fires in wasteland, owing to their nature and usually large size, require the involvement of large numbers of firefighters and rescue resources. Every such intervention represents a significant financial expense.

Firefighters emphasize:

Firefighters involved in extinguishing grass fires in meadows and wasteland may be needed at the same time to save lives, protect health and safeguard property elsewhere. It may happen that, because of people’s recklessness in burning grass, they will not reach in time the places where they are urgently needed.