The fire broke out in the evening

The fire occurred on September 7, 2026, at approximately 9:35 p.m., on the premises of a former rubber-products disposal plant in Wilków near Złotoryja. The District Police Headquarters there was notified by a passerby that a fire had broken out at the used-tire dump.

The dump was located on the premises of the “PSF Energia” S.A. Carbon Black and Pyrolytic Oil Production Plant. According to the prosecutor’s office, the company no longer held a permit to process and store waste.

The fire was substantial in scale. Controlling it required 33 fire-service units.

Prosecutor’s office suspects arson

On September 9, the District Prosecutor’s Office in Złotoryja opened an investigation into causing an incident endangering the life or health of many people and property on a large scale.

The proceedings are being conducted under Article 163 § 1(1) of the Criminal Code. It concerns causing a fire that may endanger the life or health of many people or property on a large scale.

– Considering the location of the tire dump, the weather conditions and the physical properties of the rubber products, it must currently be assumed that the burning of the stored rubber products was deliberately initiated by a person – says Liliana Łukasiewicz, press spokesperson for the District Prosecutor’s Office in Legnica.

Expert began inspecting the site

The proceedings are at an early stage. An expert in fire investigation appointed by the prosecutor’s office inspected the scene of the fire. However, the inspection was interrupted because firefighting operations had to continue.

Investigators explain that only a full inspection of the fire site and an analysis of the evidence collected will allow them to determine the circumstances and manner in which the fire started more precisely.

This type of crime carries a sentence of between one and 10 years in prison.

The site also burned in 2023

The current fire recalls events from June 2023. On June 17, 2023, a major tire fire broke out at the same dump.

The firefighting operation lasted more than two weeks at the time—from June 17 to July 3. Due to the size of the fire and the enormous amount of energy generated while the tires burned, the firefighters’ work was exceptionally difficult.

More than 25 fire-service units and a firefighting aircraft took part in the operation. The fire quickly engulfed the entire dump, which measured approximately 80 by 80 meters.

Arson was also established in 2023

In the case of the 2023 fire, the prosecutor’s office obtained an opinion from a fire-investigation expert. It concluded that the cause of the fire was arson.

However, the perpetrator was never identified. The proceedings in that matter were discontinued.

The investigation into the incident in September this year is ongoing.