The State Forest Service has acquired five quad bikes, which are a significant addition to ensuring forest fire protection. In total, the service now has 10 such vehicles, which allow movement across marshes and off-road conditions, as well as enabling situation assessment in the event of large forest fires.

Five State Forest Service (VMD) forest districts – Central Vidzeme, Northern Vidzeme, Selija, Eastern Latgale and Southern Kurzeme – have received Polaris Ranger 1000 XP quad bikes intended for forest firefighting. The remaining forest districts received their quad bikes in 2019 and 2020, with the VMD having a total of 10 such units of equipment.

“The previously purchased quad bikes have proven their worth in forest firefighting operations. They are indispensable in cases where firefighting equipment needs to be transported into marshes or off-road conditions. We also use the quad bikes for rapid situation assessment during large forest fires, as was the case this year, for example, in the fire at the specially protected nature area “Lielais un Pemmes purvs”,” says Zigmunds Jaunķiķis, Deputy Head of the VMD Forest and Environmental Protection Department.

In 2021, the VMD has detected and extinguished 433 forest fires, with a total area affected by fire of approximately 503 ha, of which 115 ha were young stands. The largest fire of this year broke out on 26 July in the specially protected nature area “Lielais un Pemmes purvs”, with an area of 180 ha burning down in the fire.

The fire-hazardous period is currently still ongoing, so everyone in the forest must comply with established fire safety requirements, for example, only lighting campfires in specially designated areas and not driving motor vehicles through forests and marshes outside of roads. The VMD will decide on the end of the fire-hazardous period based on the hydrometeorological forecast.