19:22 22 April 2020
Forest fire in national park in northeast Poland persists
A wildfire that broke out in Biebrza National Park on April 19 has so far engulfed and devastated an estimated 4,000 hectares, according to park employees. On April 20, the funds that the park had at its disposal for extinguishing the fire ran out. Headquarters of the Polish State Fire Service have indicated that containing the fire is getting increasingly difficult. About 180 firefighters from different Polish cities including Poznań and Kraków were sent to the site on April 22, in addition to other measures that were taken. On April 22, spokesperson Piotr Müller claimed that the government “has decided to transfer additional funds” to fight the fire.
Fires in the Biebrza National Park occur every year, but they usually do not exceed a total of 200 ha. A wildfire as large as the current one has not been recorded since 2002 when peat bog fires burned down 2,500 ha of forest land.
Over 590 sq km in size (bigger than the Polish capital, Warsaw), the national park is a large protected area in northeastern Poland, sprawling along the Biebrza River Valley. Its forests and marshes support hundreds of bird species, including eagle-owls and cranes, as well as beavers, elk and other wildlife.
(PAP)
