Littering can lead to fires in wooded areas, and discarded water bottles can be particularly dangerous as they can act as lenses that could start a fire. This is one of the warnings contained in an advisory issued by the Environment Agency in light of the devastating wildfires occurring worldwide lately.
In the last seven days, Turkey alone saw fires that destroyed over 140,000 hectares of woodland. Over 100,000 hectares of forests and farms burned in Greece. Wildfires in Italy scorched woodland in Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia. In Siberia, Russia’s vastest region, this summer’s fires already decimated millions of hectares of wildland.
Besides waste, equipment fitted with lenses can be similarly dangerous. Left in direct sunlight for hours, camera lenses, for example, can cause fires. It is important that camera lenses remain covered.
More than 90% of forest fires in Moldova are caused by human negligence, especially in drier periods. Almost 2/3 of the territory of Moldova is reserved for agriculture, and often wildfires are caused by people who set fire to vegetation on agricultural lands in the spring and autumn. Fires can then spread via grass to a nearby forest.
The Environment Agency is calling on woodland managers, local public administration and members of the public to observe fire safety rules, refrain from setting fire to dry vegetation and household waste, and be cautious with open fires near wooded areas.
