Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said on Wednesday afternoon that the situation in Biłgoraj County remained difficult, as gusty winds made it difficult to put out the fire in the Solska Forest, a large protected woodland area in southeastern Poland.
"The situation is difficult. The fire service is setting up another defensive line," Kierwiński told reporters in Józefów, near the affected area.
The fire broke out on Tuesday afternoon and has burned about 300 hectares of forest. Late on Tuesday, a Dromader firefighting aircraft crashed during the operation, killing its pilot.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk took part in a crisis meeting at the Government Center for Security (RCB) in Warsaw on Wednesday. He began the meeting by offering condolences to the pilot’s family before receiving reports from emergency officials.
Kierwiński said earlier that the fire had been contained in terms of its territorial spread, but that firefighters were still putting out individual hotspots.
He later said the wind had caused new complications and helped the flames spread again in some areas, though he added that the fire remained under the control of the State Fire Service (PSP).
Wind gusts in the area have reached about 60 kilometers per hour. Kierwiński said nearby homes were at a safe distance from the flames, but that a preventive evacuation could be offered to residents of several houses because of heavy smoke.
The Government Center for Security sent an alert on Wednesday morning warning residents in Biłgoraj County about dangerous smoke.
It advised people to turn off ventilation systems, limit time outdoors and prepare documents, medicines and essential belongings in case evacuation became necessary.
State Fire Service Chief Wojciech Kruczek said 101 firefighting units and 372 firefighters were involved in the operation, supported by 50 soldiers from the Territorial Defense Force (WOT). More than 100 police officers were also deployed.
Aircraft were being used extensively. Kruczek said State Forests helicopters had made about 200 water drops, while Black Hawk helicopters had made nearly 50.
Four State Forests helicopters, several Black Hawks, and four Dromader aircraft were taking part in the effort. Pilots were expected to continue flying until dusk.
Specialist firefighting units from the Podkarpackie, Małopolskie, and Świętokrzyskie regions were also sent to support crews on the ground.
Climate and Environment Minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska said conditions in Polish forests remained difficult. She said there had been 136 fires in private and state forests on Tuesday alone, amid high temperatures and unusually low moisture levels in the forest floor.
She said preventive measures had been introduced, including bans on entering forests and national parks in many places.
In the Lubelskie region, officials also imposed a strict ban on using open flames in forests and nearby areas.
The fire has affected part of the Solska Forest, a vast wooded area dominated by pine forests. It includes nature reserves, landscape parks, Natura 2000 protected sites, natural monuments, and areas set aside for the protection of plant and animal species.
The Solska Forest covers more than 79,000 hectares across parts of Lubelskie and Podkarpackie provinces.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP
Click on the audio player above for a report by Marcin Matuszewski.