FIRE PROTECTION

Even modern level of forest fire precaution doesn’t allow preventing the rises and expansion of fire on sizeable areas in full measure. During 1959-2006 more than 128 ths fires happened on the area nearby 185 ths ha in forest resources.

During the last years in Republic was developed a number of normative-methodical acts in the domain of forest fire protection and removal of their consequences.

Taking into account the requirements of PFC the Government standard of the Republic of Belarus “Sustainable forest management and exploitation. Forest protection activity requirements” was worked out. In the standard there are set out the rules of taking forest protection measures, of forest fires forecasting, registration and monitoring, of forest protection in zones with radioactive contamination, of violation and pollution prevention in forestry.

Diagnostics of state of main species stands and management after fires are realized according to management directive of Forest Research Institute.

There are created and introduced into fire fighting new fire retarding and extinguishing agents for forest and peat-bog fires “Metafosil” and “Tofasil”. Use of these perspective technologies allows diminishing fire areas in forest resources and decrease caused material and ecological damage.

For forest fire prevention, finding out and suppression in the system of the Ministry of forestry there was established the Forest guard with overall strength 17,5 ths people.

There are created 224 fire-chemical stations, equipped with all necessary fire-extinguishing means, operative communication system and transport. There is strengthened forest land patrol.

Every year in forests, depending on weather conditions and other factors, there appear from 1 to 7 ths ignitions. In 2006 in forest resources of Belarus there happened 3 251 forest fires on the area of 2506,9 ha.

Main reasons of forest fire rise in spring are agricultural burnings (until 20%), in summer casual handling with fire of forestland visitors (70%). Through forest harvester’s fault there happen nearby 3 % of forest fires, through unassignable causes – 21%.

In an effort to decrease the number of forest fires there is realized the set of preventive and operative measures.

In forests there are arranged places for rest, parkings, special places for camp-fires, barriers, hoardings on nature conservative topics.

Officials from the Forest guard keep intensively agitational work among population, give talks on the radio, appear in print and on television, distribute leaflets.

Every year dams and locks on land-reclamation objects and peat bogs are inspected, there are arranged artificial obstacles in land-reclamation net in an effort to regulate water-supply.