The Emergency Management Agency hereby issues the following alert:
As a result of rising temperatures and fire risks, the EMA hereby alerts all citizens, property owners and households:
- do not set stalk fields on fire
- adequately preserve and store hazardous and flammable materials, and,
- flammable materials must be adequately stored, pursuant to relevant storage regulations.
To ensure recommended fire safety levels and avoid potential consequences, we would like to remind people that one of potential consequences of rising temperatures is also an increased wildfire risk.
The Law on Fire Protection prohibits the burning of harvested/stalk fields, plant waste and residue.
It is forbidden to start fires in forests and their vicinity, except for in designated areas that have been clearly marked and under the strict supervision of individuals who start such fires and followed by a mandatory rehabilitation of the areas subject to such fires.
Whoever causes such fires shall be required to compensate the damages - to reimburse the Fire and Rescue unit for the costs of their response and bear the consequences as provided in the Law on Fire Protection and the provisions of other applicable laws.
Furthermore, if proven that they have burned the crop harvest residues, households and landowners shall be deprived of their entitlement to agricultural incentives for a specific time period.