The area of forest fires in the Kharkiv region has decreased six and a half times!

At the “Slobozhanskyi Forest Office” branch, the results of the fire-hazard season are being summed up. This year has been a challenging one for the Kharkiv region. Despite constant threats caused by the proximity to the combat zone, the border with Russia, and the high level of mine contamination, forestry workers made great efforts to extinguish even the smallest fires as quickly as possible and to save the forests from destruction.

Thanks to the dedicated work of the foresters of the SFE “Forests of Ukraine”, this year the total area affected by fires in the region has been significantly reduced. Compared to last year, the burned area decreased 6.5 times! Since the beginning of the year, employees of the branch in the Kharkiv region have extinguished 305 fires covering 2,072 hectares. For comparison, last year the burned area in the region exceeded 13,350 hectares.

A significant portion of all fires in the Kharkiv region are the result of constant Russian shelling.

Due to the high level of mine contamination and, in most cases, the lack of access to forest areas, even the smallest fire can quickly spread over a large territory.

Currently, more than 170,000 hectares of forest in the Kharkiv region remain mined and inaccessible, including over 144,000 hectares in the Iziumske Forestry Management Unit . Since the beginning of this year, fires there have affected 1,819 hectares, which is more than seven times less compared to last year!

After the Iziumske Forestry Management Unit joined “Forests of Ukraine” in March of this year, the company provided the district with the necessary equipment: pickup trucks with fire-fighting modular units, new fire hoses, and backpack extinguishers. This equipment allows fire crews to respond quickly and extinguish fires in accessible and safe areas.

Firefighting in this zone remains a daily challenge and a tremendous danger. Almost every operation requires the involvement of sappers and close cooperation with pyrotechnic units.

Despite all the threats, the foresters continue to show heroic dedication every day, fighting fires under the difficult conditions of wartime to preserve the forests of the region.