The incident occurred on June 16.
Firefighters from Warta Bolesławiecka:
14:47
Dispatch to a grass fire in Iwiny. Upon arriving at the scene, it turned out that approximately 10 m2 of dry grass was burning.
As reported on gov.pl, in 2023 firefighters in Poland responded 21,206 times to grass and agricultural wasteland fires. In Lower Silesia alone, there were more than 2,000 interventions.
The government website adds:
Unfortunately, in 2023, grass and wasteland fires resulted in the following:
- Number of fatalities: 3
- Number of injured people: 36
- Water used: 58,629 m3 (58,629,431 l)
- Area: 5,774 ha (57.7 km2)
- Total fire-related losses: PLN 68,992,900
- Average operation duration: 56 min and 36 sec
- Dispatch to grass fires, on average, every 10 min.
The State Fire Service’s “Stop Grass Fires” public awareness campaign began on March 1. Gov.pl: – For many years, the transition from winter to spring and early spring have been periods when the number of meadow and wasteland fires clearly increases. Many people burn grass and agricultural wasteland, explaining their actions as an attempt to enrich the soil. For generations, many people have believed that burning grass will cause it to regrow faster and more abundantly, thereby bringing economic benefits. However, this is completely misguided. In reality, burning grass causes irreversible, adverse changes in the natural environment—the soil becomes depleted, the highly beneficial natural decomposition of plant residues is halted, as is the assimilation of nitrogen from the air. A number of chemical compounds that are poisonous to both people and animals enter the atmosphere. Burning grass is also the cause of many fires, which unfortunately often lead to fatal accidents. Every year, a dozen or so people die in incidents of this kind.
It also adds:
Areas of dried vegetation from the previous year, which, due to the vegetation periods occurring at this time, provide excellent combustible material, combined with high human activity in this sector, result in a rapid increase in fires. People are responsible for more than 94% of their causes.
Wind also helps the fire spread. People who, against all logic, decide to burn grass are convinced that they have the situation fully under control and will respond in time if necessary. Unfortunately, they are mistaken, and sometimes this ends in tragedy. In the event of a sudden change in its direction, fires very often get out of control and spread to nearby forests and buildings. In many such fires, people lose everything they own. There is also a direct threat to people’s health and lives.
And warns:
Those who nevertheless want to take the risk must also bear the consequences:
- The fact that such conduct is prohibited is stated, among other things, in the Act of September 1, 2022—an amendment to the Nature Conservation Act, which added Article 130a, stating that a person who removes vegetation by burning on agricultural land, railway areas, roadside strips, reed beds or rushes is subject to arrest, restriction of liberty or a fine of up to PLN 30,000.
(…)
point 1. Anyone who removes vegetation by burning on agricultural land, railway areas, roadside strips, reed beds or rushes is subject to arrest, restriction of liberty or a fine of up to PLN 30,000.- Article 30(3) of the Act of September 28, 1991, on forests (Journal of Laws of 2017, No. 12, item 59, as amended):
(…) in forests and forested areas, as well as within 100 m of the forest boundary, activities and actions that may create a hazard are prohibited, in particular:
—lighting fires outside areas designated for this purpose by the forest owner or forest district manager, using an open flame, burning the topsoil and plant residues.- Serious penalties apply to offenses of this kind: Article 82 of the Act of May 20, 1971, Code of Petty Offenses (Journal of Laws of 2018, item 618, as amended):
(...) a penalty of 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 Act of June 6, 1997, Criminal Code (Journal of Laws of 2017, item 2204, as amended) provides: “Anyone who causes an event that threatens the life or health of many people or property of considerable value, taking the form of a fire, is subject to imprisonment for a term of between one and 10 years”.
It also reminds readers:
Every intervention entails a significant financial expense. Firefighters involved in extinguishing grass, meadow and wasteland fires may at the same time be needed to save lives and property elsewhere. It may happen that, because of people’s recklessness, they will not reach those who truly need help in time.