The State Forest Service is lifting the forest fire danger period as of 12 September, during which several restrictions had to be observed when in forests and marshes. This year, 355 forest fires have been registered, with 220 hectares of forest land burnt.
The start and end of the fire danger period are determined annually by the State Forest Service, taking weather conditions into account. This year, it began on 2 May and concluded on 12 September. During the fire danger period, several restrictions apply, such as the prohibition of driving motor vehicles off-road in forests and marshes, and leaving campfires unattended.
Despite the lifting of the fire danger period, the State Forest Service continues to urge people to observe fire safety requirements in the forest, as even the smallest spark can cause a large-scale fire. If you notice a forest fire, call the unified emergency services number 112 immediately and provide the location of the incident as accurately as possible!
This year, the State Forest Service has registered and extinguished 355 forest fires. The total area affected by fire on forest land is 220 hectares, of which 68.5 hectares are young stands. Last year, a much larger number of forest fires were extinguished, and larger areas were burnt. In 2021, by 12 September, 441 forest fires had been registered with a total area affected by fire of 503 hectares, of which 111 hectares were young stands.
“Overall, the 2022 fire danger period can be assessed as relatively calm, as evidenced by both the number of fires and the areas burnt. Although the summer was hot, thanks to regular rainfall, the fire risk was reduced,” says Zigmunds Jaunķiķis, Deputy Head of the Forest and Environmental Protection Division of the State Forest Service.
This year, the largest forest fires occurred at the National Armed Forces' Ādaži training area, where 52 hectares were burnt, and in Skaņkalne parish, Valmiera municipality, where 18 hectares of forest were burnt. As in previous years, the majority of forest fires occurred near Rīga and Daugavpils this year. This is explained by the large influx of people in peri-urban forests.
In the majority of cases, forest fires have been caused by human carelessness, thoughtlessness, and malicious actions. This year, malicious arson was identified in 17 cases. Forest fires have also been caused by lightning strikes, short circuits in power lines, the use of motor vehicles, etc.
The State Forest Service expresses its gratitude to its cooperation partners – the State Fire and Rescue Service, the National Armed Forces, a/s “Latvijas valsts meži”, SIA “Rīgas meži”, and the Voluntary Firefighters' Associations for their responsiveness and support in detecting, extinguishing, and monitoring forest fires.