Belarus will help to extinguish a forest fire in Latvia

0
704

The State Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has placed in the General Communication and Information System of Emergency Situations a request to provide three helicopters to ensure continuous firefighting in the forest and on peat bogs in the Valdgala region. Since the resources of the EU countries due to forest fires raging in the EU are limited, the request was sent to Belarus.

Now Europe has only one free helicopter for extinguishing fires, since Serbia, Greece and Finland also applied for international assistance in fighting forest fires. At the moment, Latvia “is standing in line,” SFRS explains.

Belarus has already responded to the request, and helicopters are ready to fly to Latvia. Now the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are making out the necessary documentation for this.

As reported, yesterday at an extraordinary meeting the government decided to support the request for international assistance in extinguishing fire in the forest and on peat bogs in the Valdgala region.

After the government meeting, Kozlovskis said that the Cabinet decided to ask for international assistance within the framework of the civil defense of the EU and NATO. “It will take some time, but we hope for the responsiveness of the participating countries,” he said.

In the request for assistance, it is determined that Latvia would like to have on the site of the fire three helicopters constantly which are capable of extinguishing fires, Kozlovskis added.

All necessary costs for accommodation, water, food and fuel will be covered from the state budget for unforeseen expenses. The amount will be adjusted after the resources become known. There is an opportunity not to apply the procedure of public procurement with respect to issues related to the necessary procurement to provide specific rescue work, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister of the SFRS Kristaps Eklons notes that the burning of peat bog and forest can continue for a week or more. SFRS maintains contacts with the nearest neighboring countries – Lithuania and Estonia – and finds out what technical, and if necessary, human resources are ready to be provided.

The state police does not yet see any signs of malicious arson in the event of a fire in the Valdgala region, said the head of the Main Department of the Criminal Police, Andrei Grishin.

The police instituted criminal proceedings under Article 186 of the Criminal Law on the destruction and damage of property through negligence.  The fire on the peat bog in the Valdgas region began on Tuesday, July 17, later the flame spread to the forest.

According to the EU program “Copernicus” on July 23, 1010.5 hectars of forest were burned, which is 170 ha more than a day ago. According to information from the satellites, 267 hectares of forests, 311.7 hectares of bushes and grass, 431.8 hectares of peat bog were burned. Earlier, due to heavy smoke, inhabitants of the village Stikli in the Ventspils region was evacuated, but on Saturday most of its residents returned home after having signed the document that they themselves took responsibility for their safety.

LEAVE A REPLY