The fire over Biebrza has already covered an area of 600 football fields. The police announce an investigation
2025-04-22 13:43, act 201.2025-04-22 14:08
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2025-04-22 13:43
update
2025-04-22 14:08
Under the supervision of the District Prosecutor's Office in Augustów (Podlasie), the police collect and protect evidence against the formal initiation of an investigation into a fire in the Biebrza National Park. The firefighting operation with the participation of firefighters and other services has been going on since Sunday, the fire covers about 450 ha of park areas.
The fire broke out on Sunday at the interface between the Augustów and Moniec poviats, according to firefighters at the time – in the vicinity of the village of Kopytkowo (Sztabin commune, Augustów poviat).
The action in a hard -to -reach, swampy terrain is still ongoing, it is attended by several hundred professional firefighters and TSOs, including specialist groups for extinguishing forest fires without the use of vehicles, also supported by WOT soldiers, forest and park services, police.
Water drops (a total of hundreds of thousands of liters) are made by helicopters and aircraft of state forests and a police helicopter.
The cause of the fire is unknown. “At this stage, we are far from speculating, which was a direct cause. Certainly the activities after the fire, taken by experts in the field of firefighting, but also by police experts will determine what was the cause of this fire” – spokesman Jacek Dobrzyński told journalists on Monday.
The police collect all evidence before the formal initiation of the proceedings – the head of the Augustów District Prosecutor's Office Sebastian Piekarski said on Tuesday. In his opinion, the investigation should formally be initiated in the coming days.
The initially assumed direction of the investigation is to bring a fire (or direct danger of its occurrence) as an event that threatens the life or health of many people or in large size, probably in combination with legal qualification, which talks about damage in the plant or animal world, because the fire covers protected areas.
This is the largest fire of dry reeds and meadows on Biebrza this spring. Three weeks ago, firefighters extinguished a fire there, which covered 90 ha of protected areas, next week, when 8-9 ha burned down.
The Biebrza National Park is the largest in Poland. Five years ago, the largest fire in its history took place, almost 5.3 thousand burned down. ha marsh meadows and forest areas.
The investigation into the circumstances of the fire was then conducted by the District Prosecutor's Office in Bialystok. In the investigation, two main hypotheses were taken from the beginning – intentional or unintentional arson. The expert in the field of firefighting, appointed in this proceeding, he described the cause of the fire as “bearing the features of intentional fire in several places.”
The legal qualification adopted at that time is bringing an event that threatens the life or health of many people or property in large sizes, which is in the form of a fire, but also causing damage in the plant or animal world in a significant size and destruction or significant reduction of the naturally protected natural value or object.
After 9 months of proceedings, the investigation was discontinued because it was not possible to select and determine the perpetrators. Cash prizes designated, among others, did not help, among others by the then director of BPN or the head of the Sztabin.
General staff: WOT soldiers and equipment, including a Bayraktar drone, support the firefighting action over Biebrza
The operation of extinguishing the fire in the Biebrza National Park is supported by 105 WOT soldiers, 10 military vehicles and the unmanned Bayractar TB -2 drone equipped with a thermal imaging camera – the General Staff of the Polish Army informed on Tuesday.
A fire that broke out on Sunday at the interface of Augustów and Moniec poviats, according to firefighters at the time – in the vicinity of the village of Kopytkowo (Sztabin commune, Augustów poviat), covered 450 hectares of the Biebrza National Park (BPN).
The General Staff of the Polish Army announced on Tuesday that 105 soldiers and 10 military vehicles from the 1st Territorial Defense Brigade were involved in the extinguishing of a fire in BPN.
The main task of the soldiers is the support of the State Fire Service in mastering the fire of peat bogs and reeds in the area of Polkowo (Augustów poviat). They were equipped with overalls, silencers and protective masks. Soldiers are also working on developing a water bus, key – as noted – for the effectiveness of the entire operation.
In addition, the Bayraktar TB-2 drone with a thermal imaging camera operated over the fire area, made available by 12 base of unmanned aerial vehicles. It allows the detection of sub -pane bog fires and not yet disclosed sources of fire, transmitting the image from the camera in real time to the staff, which directs the firefighting operation.
The Bayraktar TB-2 is an unmanned recognizable and upbringing system (BSR), capable of conducting observation and reconnaissance tasks (ISR) and combat missions using laser-guided weapons, transmitted at four hanging points under the wings.
About 300 firefighters and 60 employees of the Biebrza National Park participate in the extinguishing of the fire on Biebrza; Police and State Forests are also involved in the action – SGWP pointed out.
This is the largest fire of dry reeds and meadows on Biebrza this spring. Three weeks ago, firefighters extinguished a fire there, which covered 90 ha of protected areas, next week, when 8-9 ha burned down.
ROF/ Mark/ KTL/
