Burning dry grass: 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 become depleted due to high temperatures, the fertile layer is destroyed, and beneficial shoots, insects, and animals perish. The smoke emitted during the burning of dry grass and debris is highly toxic, harms human health, and causes irreparable damage to the ecology.
Fires often spread to forest areas and can reach threatening proportions, turning into peat and forest fires.
Very often, residential buildings, outbuildings, barns with livestock catch fire from burning grass, and people get burns, and sometimes die.
Separately, I would like to focus on another problem. With the onset of the first warm days, many townspeople flock to the forests for outdoor recreation. They often make 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 you cannot extinguish the fire on your own, report 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;
- places for campfires must be cleared of combustible 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 devicesfor cooking should be at least 2 meters, from bonfires – at least 8 meters.
- talk to children and explain that under no circumstances should they light a fire themselves, throw unknown objects and 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, grasses on the root, 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, grasses on the root, 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 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, for lighting fires in prohibited places, a fine of up to 12 basic units is imposed. 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 "Lighting fires in prohibited places":
1. State environmental institutions managing reserves and national parks.
2. Bodies exercising state control over land use and protection.
3. Bodies exercising state control in the field of forest use, protection, defense and reproduction.
4. Bodies of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.