Setting dry grass on fire: danger and responsibility

Annually, with the onset of spring, the Ministry of Emergency Situations has to deal with the problem of spring dry grass fires and an increase in the number of fires caused by the burning of last year's dry vegetation.

Spring fires have become a powerful destructive environmental factor. When dry grass is burned, the root system of plants is damaged, the soil and vegetation are depleted by high temperatures, the fertile layer is destroyed, and beneficial shoots, insects, and animals perish. The smoke released during the burning of dry grass and debris is highly toxic, harms human health, and causes irreparable damage to the ecology.

Often, the fire spreads to forest areas and can take on threatening proportions, turning into peat and forest fires.

Very often, residential buildings, outbuildings, and livestock sheds catch fire from burning grass, and people suffer burns, and sometimes die.

Separately, we would like to focus on another problem. With the arrival of the first warm days, many townspeople flock to the forests for outdoor recreation. At the same time, they often set up campfires for warmth and cooking. However, when leaving the recreation area, they leave behind not only piles of garbage but also unextinguished campfires.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations strongly recommends observing the following rules:

- do not leave unextinguished campfires, matches, cigarette butts, or glass bottles (they act like magnifying glasses in the sun, focusing sunlight and igniting grass, moss, etc.) in recreation areas;

- do not pass by burning grass; if it is impossible to extinguish the fire on your own, report the fires to the duty service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations by calling 101 or 112;

- on the adjacent territory, land plots provided for collective gardening or dacha construction,
burning of dry vegetation at the root is not allowed;

- Fire pits must be cleared of flammable substances and materials, dry vegetation, and equipped with extinguishing agents. The burning and smoldering process must be carried out in such a way that flames and sparks do not fall on building elements, structures,
while the distance to protruding parts of buildings, structures
from special cooking appliances must be at least 2 meters, and from fire pits – at least 8 meters.

- Talk to children and explain that under no circumstances should they light a fire on their own, throw unknown objects or aerosol cans into it.

In accordance with Article 16.40 of the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Administrative Offenses, liability is provided for burning dry vegetation, standing grass, as well as stubble and post-harvest residues in fields, or for failure to take measures to eliminate fires – a fine of 10 to 30 basic units. Persons authorized to draw up administrative offense reports under Art. 16.40 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Belarus "Illegal burning of dry vegetation, standing grass, as well as stubble and post-harvest residues in fields or failure to take measures to eliminate fires":

1. Bodies of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.

2. State environmental protection institutions managing reserves and national parks.

3. Bodies exercising state control in the field of forest use, protection, defense, and reproduction.

In accordance with Article 16.41, setting fires in prohibited places is punishable by a fine of up to 12 basic units. In case of damage of a particularly large scale, criminal liability arises (Art. 270, 276 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus). Persons authorized to draw up administrative offense reports under Art. 16.40 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Belarus "Setting fires in prohibited places":

1. State environmental protection institutions managing reserves and national parks.

2. Bodies exercising state control over the use and protection of land.

3. Bodies exercising state control in the field of forest use, protection, conservation, and regeneration.

4. Bodies of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.