In the first three months of 2026, Ukrainian rescue workers extinguished 3,225 fires in natural ecosystems. The total area burned by the fires is approaching 94,000 hectares. The disaster has already claimed human lives.
As emphasized by the State Emergency Service, in most cases, the cause of the disaster was human irresponsibility, specifically attempts to “clean up the property” by burning dry vegetation.
According to rescue workers, three people have already died in fires since the beginning of the year. Another 11 Ukrainians have been injured.
“Every day we write, speak, and plead: do not take matches in your hands, do not burn dry grass! Each ignition is like a stab to the heart of our nature. This is hectares of wasteland where there should have been orchards. This is the death of all living things that did not manage to escape the wall of fire,” – state the SES.
Source: SES
Enhanced monitoring
Due to the negligence of Ukrainians, rescuers have been forced to strengthen the work of special rapid response teams. To promptly detect fires, specialists use drones. Particular attention is given to agricultural fields, roadsides, and areas near settlements.
Thus, just in the past day in Prykarpattia, two people have been brought to administrative responsibility.
In Vinnytsia region, 12 ha of land burned in a single day. In total, 21 fires were recorded in open areas.
Due to the burning of dry grass on March 23 in Lviv region, an electric car was completely destroyed in a yard. The wind “helped” the fire spread to the vehicle, so neither the owner nor the firefighters managed to extinguish it in time.
Source: SES
EcoPolitic reminds: burning dry vegetation is not only harmful to the environment and human health, but is also prohibited by law. Even if there are no tragedies or large-scale fires, citizens will still have to pay a fine from 3,060 to 6,120 UAH. The sanctions are even greater for officials – from 15,300 to 21,420 UAH.
