Last week, Kharkiv region rescuers extinguished 221 fires in natural ecosystems covering an area of 153 hectares. 4 of them were caused by enemy shelling, the rest by human negligence or deliberate burning of dead wood.
In total, since the beginning of 2025, 626 fires have already broken out in ecosystems on a total area of over 466 hectares in the Kharkiv region, including 9 forest fires on an area of about 5.5 hectares.
Instead of eliminating the consequences of the Russian military aggression and rescuing people, emergency responders are forced to go out to extinguish fires with dry firewood. In particular, in the deoccupied territories, such fires can lead to the detonation of ammunition, engineering mines, or improvised explosive devices that did not explode.
Dry land ignites like gunpowder, and the wind spreads the flames over hectares. One spark can set fields and houses ablaze. Such fires destroy soils and kill animals.
And it's illegal! The penalties for arson are:
- from 3060 to 6120 UAH for citizens;
- from 15,300 to 21,420 UAH for officials.
Stop! Don't smoke! Take care of your native land - we have no other. Be responsible!
If you witness a fire, call 101 immediately!
Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kharkiv region