In the period July 1st-15th, firefighters responded to 648 fires across the Czech Republic, a below average figure for this period. July is usually the worst month for fires, but the unusually wet weather is having an effect. Photo credit: Freepik / For illustrative purposes.
Czech Rep., Jul 21 (BD) – The summer months are usually the busiest time of year for the Czech Fire Service (HZS). However, new figures published by HZS show that the service responded to 648 fires in the first half of July, an average of 43 per day, compared to the long-term average of 49 per day. Between them, the fires took the lives of five people and injured a further 57, and caused damage of around CZK 112 million.
127 of the fires in this period occured in the natural environment, including 56 in the forest. This is a lower number than usual, which can be attributed to the unusually wet weather; regular heavy rain leads to wet soil, and less chance of fires in the natural environment.
Nicole Studená, spokeswoman for HZS, appealed for the public to pay close attention to the common sense guidelines for starting fires in the natural environment. Those not complying with the rules may be fined up to CZK 20,000, or CZK 25,000 if their actions lead to a fire. The Fire Protection Act requires anyone starting a fire in the outdoors to use all possible safety precautions to ensure that it does not burn out of control. According to Studená: “Based on their rich experience, firefighters can tell you that the consistent preventive measures you take will secure your property from fires and protect the health of you and your children.”
In case of fire, you should immediately call the emergency fire department on 150 or 112.
