As the world celebrated the 50th annual Earth Day, about 6000 hectares of Biebrza National Park in Poland were ablaze.
With almost 10% of the country’s largest national park engulfed in flames, more than a hundred people –including firefighters, the Territorial Defence Force, park employees, and local residents–and two Border Guard PZL-Kania helicopters and a PZL-104 Wilga plane are working to contain the massive fire.
The park is located to the north-eastern part of the country, close to the border with Belarus and Lithuania. It is known for its peat bogs and wetlands, inhabited by rich birdlife, beavers and elks. Though wildfires are a common occurrence in the region, one of this scale has not been seen in more than 12 years. The situation is worsened due to Poland currently facing its worst drought in decades.
Poland’s Environment Minister Michal Wos has said that the fire could have resulted from illegal grass burning–a method sometimes employed to clear swaths of dead grass.
Image Source: Reuters