Photo: HZS ČR
Firefighters have been battling the wildfire in a forested, hard-to-access area since Saturday. By Monday morning, they had managed to prevent it from spreading further. The affected area remains just under 100 hectares, although the fire is still not fully under control.
Around 400 firefighters and more than 100 pieces of equipment remain at the scene, working in challenging conditions.
They have already been receiving support from the air, with several helicopters deployed over the weekend. That support was reinforced on Monday, when two Black Hawk helicopters from Slovakia joined the operation. These aircraft are now playing a key role in containing the fire.
Vladimír Vlček|Photo: HZS Moravskoslezského kraje
According to the head of the Czech Fire Rescue Service, Vladimír Vlček, firefighters hope to bring the blaze under control during the day, although much will depend on the weather, particularly the wind.
Conditions on the ground remain difficult, says Czech Radio reporter Jana Vitásková, who was at the scene on Monday morning.
Photo: HZS ČR
“The fire is now covering about 95 hectares of forest. Much of the area is rocky and difficult to access, with dry trees falling. Firefighters have divided the site into several sectors as they try to bring it under control. Once the open flames are eliminated, mop-up operations follow, including searching for hotspots using drones with thermal cameras.”
Photo: HZS ČR
The situation highlights the wider impact of the ongoing drought and heat, which have sharply increased the risk of wildfires across the country.
Petr Kříž|Photo: René Volfík, iROZHLAS.cz
Following the devastating wildfire that ravaged over 1,000 hectares of forestland in the Bohemian Switzerland National Park in July 2022, the park introduced a range of preventive measures, says the director of the park’s administration, Petr Kříž:
“Besides water sources, this includes rules for high-risk days and regular drone monitoring in the mornings and evenings, sometimes during the day as well. We also have a detailed road network for the integrated rescue system, along with an application firefighters use for orientation.
Photo: HZS ČR
“Another key measure is restricting access during high-risk weather conditions. At present, we have a high fire risk level due to this emergency, so we ask visitors to follow park rules, stay on marked paths, and avoid closed areas where operations are ongoing.”
A change in the weather may bring at least some relief. From Tuesday, temperatures are expected to drop, with showers and even thunderstorms forecast later in the week. The heaviest rainfall is expected on Thursday.
Photo: HZS ČR
However, meteorologists warn that the amounts are likely to remain low. In many places, only up to three millimetres of rain is expected, which will not significantly reduce the risk of further fires.
A ban on making fires remains in place across most of the country due to the ongoing drought and high temperatures, and is expected to continue at least until Wednesday.