Grass fire latest blaze in Estonia's tinder-dry spring
The arrival of a mostly dry but windy spring has brought with it a heightened risk of grass fires, as one recent incident in western Estonia showed, Maaleht reported.
In 2026 so far, rescuers have already had to put out more than 130 forest and landscape fires, compared with 55 by the same time last year, and just 26 a year earlier.
The Rescue Board (Päästeamet) reminds the public that the intentional burning of grass and hay is forbidden in Estonia, and while the warming weather and longer evenings can encourage people to make bonfires, the risk of unintentionally sparking a scrub fire is high.
In the recent reported case, Rescue Board personnel were summoned at a little after 3:45 p.m. Wednesday in the village of Tolli, Märjamaa municipality, Rapla County.
By the time the first crew arrived on the scene, approximately 300 square meters of land were ablaze, and the fire was spreading both toward the nearby forest and toward hay bales.
By the time the conflagration was under control, some of the plastic-wrapped bales had begun to smolder, meaning they had to be unwrapped and doused with water before being inspected — a total of nearly two hectares was affected.
Firefighting operations were carried out by rescuers from Märjamaa and Pärnu-Jaagupi.
The number of fires rises significantly on weekends, when people light bonfires, for example, to burn branches trimmed in the course of spring work. But these fires can get out of control if safety measures are not adhered to.
These guidelines include: Not making bonfires during windy conditions, and paying attention to wind direction if there is a breeze, to ensure no sparks find their way into nearby buildings, forests, or flammable materials; clearing the area around a planned bonfire site of any flammable or combustible materials; keeping a fire extinguisher, connected hosepipe, or buckets of water to hand.
In addition, you must never leave a bonfire unattended, and make sure a fire is fully extinguished before leaving the scene. Please note letting a bonfire get out of hand may incur financial liability for a Rescue Board callout.
If you spot a wildfire, call the emergency number on 112.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
Source: Maaleht
