The State Forests consistently invest in fire protection system

The heatwave that is sweeping through Europe was also the cause for great fires in Sweden and Greece; the fire also destroyed forests in Germany. Every few days, more forest fires in Europe and the United States are being reported. Unfortunately, the heatwave continues and high temperatures also threaten our forests. For many years, the State Forests have been extending their system to help fight the fire.
18.09.2018

The heatwave that is sweeping through Europe was also the cause for great fires in Sweden and Greece; the fire also destroyed forests in Germany. Every few days, more forest fires in Europe and the United States are being reported. Unfortunately, the heatwave continues and high temperatures also threaten our forests. For many years, the State Forests have been extending their system to help fight the fire.

According to the National Headquarters of the State Fire Service, in July 854 fires burst out in all forests, regardless of the type of ownership; in August 431 fires were reportedThat is a lot but still less than in June when the fire was put out 1612 times.

However, according to the information of the Department of Forest Protection in the Directorate-General of the State Forests, in July 396 forests fires were reported in within the area administered by the State Forests, while in August there were 108 fires already. Most times forest fires were fought in June - as many as 558 times. In total, the forests managed by the State Forests have burnt 2,183 times since the beginning of the year.

Fortunately, the average area of a single fire was not large and amounted to 0.21 ha. According to the data of the State Forests, in July almost 70 ha of forest under the State Forests administration were burnt. In total, almost 467 ha of forest have been burnt since the beginning of the year.

There are also fires over 10 ha. At the beginning of August, in the Skwierzyna Forest District (Regional Directorate of the State Forests in Szczecin) over 13 ha of forest were burnt. The fire started in a forest plantation, went through the sapling stand and then through the subsequent forest storeys. The most likely cause was arson, and the investigation is still in progress.

A relatively small average area of a single fire is the result of a well-functioning fire protection system, on which the State Forests spend PLN 85 million per year. 

Within the system, watch duties begin in mid-March every year. In the area managed by SF, there are 665 fire towers, including 256 video surveillance points. It is in one of these ‘crow’s nests’ that the first puffs of smoke hovering over the trees are noticed. A quick reaction increases the chance to control the fire before the disastrous force has done more damage.

A fire of illegal chemical waste landfill in Jakubów was noticed from one of such towers. The illegal dumping area was located near the border with the forest. Owing to the immediate fire-fighting operation, not more than 200 m2 of forests were burnt.  

It is worth mentioning that the State Forests also have aeroplanes which participated in suppressing 285 fires last year. The total cost of renting aeroplanes, and patrolling and fire-fighting helicopters by the State Forests was PLN 21 million.

This year, fire-fighting planes also took part in fire suppressing operations in the Rytel and the Szubin Forest Districts. These areas were also previously destroyed by the hurricane wind which took place last year.  Still, there are kilometres of stacked timber which stretches for miles along the trails, however, at high temperatures the risk of ignition increases.

Important elements of forest protection system against natural disasters are fire breaks. They are ploughed strips of land aimed at protecting the forest from the spread of a possible fire. Every year, the State Forests make new barriers or renew the existing ones as part of the preventive activities scheme. In 2016, 104 km of new fire breaks were made, and 4337 km of already existing ones were renewed.

This year, the fleet of patrolling and fire-fighting vehicles was also enlarged. 11 new cars have been sent to the regional directorates of the State Forests. By March next year,  a further 56 cars will join the fire-fighting fleet. One of the cars also went to the previously mentioned Rytel Forest District.

The patrolling and firefighting vehicles are multi-purpose off-road pick-ups with a special deck and hardtop suitable for mounting a fire-fighting set and a water tank with a capacity of 400 litres. As additional handheld equipment, there are also: water fire extinguishers, shovels, hoses and a chainsaw.

In contrast to heavy or medium-sized cars used by the Fire Brigade, the advantage of these cars is their weight and better mobility on unpaved roads and in the areas that are beyond the reach of heavier vehicles.

Forest districts which will receive new cars are mostly put in the highest first category of fire risk. One of such areas is the Żagań Forest District where, on average, there are 30 fire outbreaks per year. Partially, the cause for them is the military training ground which occupies about half of the area of the forest district.

The cost of one car with equipment (including an engine generator, tank, hoses) is approx. PLN 170,000. All vehicles are intended for patrolling, extinguishing forest fires in the initial phase (in particular ground cover fires), putting out post-fire areas, controlling other fire hazards which occur in the close vicinity of forests, as well as for carrying out joint operations with the units of the State Fire Service in the forestlands.

The purchase of light cars with patrolling and fire-fighting functions is a part of a larger fire protection project, for which the State Forests have been granted financial support coming from the EU Infrastructure and Environment Programme. 135 out of 430 forest districts in Poland take part in it.

The State Forests’ equipment is currently used for suppressing fires in Sweden. The Drawsko Forest District has provided a generator with the high-pressure pump which was bought in 2006 from its own resources.

The State Forests not only invest in firefighting equipment but also provide proper access roads. In the forests managed by the State Forests, there is 107,000 km of forest roads, up to 50 per cent of them also serve as fire roads. Currently, all new or repaired roads are adapted to the standard suitable for Fire Brigade’s cars so that, in case of fire, the fire-fighting cars could get deep into the forest. Fire roads must have a load-bearing capacity of 10 tonnes, a roadway at least 3 m wide, as well as manoeuvring areas, passing loops 3 m wide and 23 m long, and curve radius of turns at least 11 m long.

The forest fire protection system consists of many elements. One of them is also retention reservoirs. They are created as part of so-called small retention programme in the lowlands and in mountain areasThese forest waterholes and ponds not only retain water in the forest, which protects it from drought but in the event of a fire, they serve firemen and foresters for water draw-offs. In the years 2016-2022, foresters are implementing the second phase of the programme. Within its framework, foresters will create or clear up several thousand objects that will additionally store 2.5 million m3 of water. This project costs almost PLN 450 million.

All foresters’ efforts are to protect the forest against such a fire that destroyed forests in Kuźnia Raciborska 25 years ago. In 1992, the fire destroyed 9,000 ha of forests, three people died during the fire, and 50 others were hospitalized. It was after almost a month that the still burning nearby peatlands were finally quenched.