A wheat field near the village of Maramonovca, Drochia district, caught fire, with the flames destroying the crop on twenty hectares. Seventy other hectares were rescued.
It took firefighters one hour to put out the flames. The land owner also provided help. The cause of the fire and the circumstances are yet to be established by fire inspectors.
The Civil Protection Service has set up patrols to prevent similar fires. It is calling on field owners to take precautionary measures against fires during harvesting. In particular, it is recommended to delimit grain fields from roads, railroads and woods by plowing strips of land that are at least four meters wide. Farming equipment needs to be overhauled before being allowed on the fields and be equipped with extinguishers. It is also recommended to always keep a tractor with a plow and a tank of water near the fields. Smoking and open fires must be avoided near grain fields and heaps.
The Civil Protection Service will continue to monitor observance of fire safety rules throughout the harvesting season.
