Second wildfire of weekend starts in Lavassaare bog, Pärnu County
A forest fire which started in Lavassaare bog, Pärnu County on Sunday is estimated to cover around 80 hectares, and had still not been put out as of Monday morning. The fire is the second to take place over the weekend.
The Rescue Board's Alarm Center first got a fire alert in the village of Maima, Pärnu County, at 3.32 p.m.
According topreliminary information, the fire started in a peat field and the employees of a peat-cutting firm tried to put out the fire by themselves.
So far, the spread of the fire is estimated at around 80 hectares, but as with a fire at Klooga bog in Harju County, strong winds caused the fire to spread more quickly, and the fire's total extent is not yet certain. Currently, the fire has reached the shores of Lake Lavassaare.
Firefighting works were difficult due to the soft soil, and accessibility to the fire sites is complicated.
There are 18 different technical units across Pärnu County who have been involved in the rescue effort; in addition to rescue vehicles, UTVs, ATVs, a helicopter from the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) and a drone to determine the spread of the fire have all been used.
There is no direct danger to the people in the area of the fires, but due to the wind, smog is spreading in the direction of Ahaste, in Pärnu County, meaning the Rescue Board asks local residents to keep their windows and doors closed and to stay indoors.
Another fire started in Klooga Bog in Harju County on Saturday, May 30 spreading to cover an area of nearly 150 hectares when it was extinguished Sunday afternoon.
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Editor: Roberta Vaino