The recent fire in the Ance bogs and forests has stirred up a conflict between the state forest manager “Latvijas valsts meži” and conservationists – a better network of forest roads would be necessary for more efficient forest fire suppression, but creating one would mean harming the nature reserve territories, reports TV3 Ziņas.
“Latvijas valsts meži” wants to build forest roads even in nature conservation areas to more successfully combat potential forest fires. “Friends of nature” are opposed to this.
A State Forest Service engineer specialising in fire protection issues shows the road infrastructure in the Ance bogs and forests, where a forest fire broke out three weeks ago. When the forest was burning here, fire-fighting equipment took over an hour to travel the 20-kilometre stretch to the seat of the fire.