These days, you can get a fine of up to 331 euros for a campfire in the wrong place, and if the fire gets out of control, the consequences will be more serious. The fire and rescue service has declared a period of increased risk of fires almost throughout Slovakia. The reason is extreme heat and prolonged drought that hit the country at the beginning of August.
The warning concerns the entire western and central regions, except for the Námestovo district, as well as the Rožňava and Trebišov districts in the east of the country. Practically, only part of the Prešov region and some northern territories remain without restrictions. The rescue service explains that the combination of high temperatures and dry weather in the coming days will create conditions for rapid fire spread.
Why the situation is so serious
According to the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute SHMÚ, the moisture of small combustible materials (dry grass, leaves, and branches) in most parts of the country has dropped to the lowest levels. In practice, a single spark is enough to ignite dry grass, and from there the fire quickly spreads to shrubs and forests.
The institute directly warns of an extraordinary risk for the next six days and urges people seeking relief from the heat in the forest or nature to behave as responsibly as possible.
What exactly is prohibited
While the period of increased danger is in effect, it is forbidden to:
use open flames in places where the fire can spread uncontrollably;
burn dry grass, shrubs, and tree shoots;
light campfires in forests and their protective zones — this is an area within 50 meters from the forest boundary;
burn combustible materials openly near forests, forest parks, and on dry meadows;
smoke in forests and forest park zones.
Separate requirements apply to owners and tenants of forest lands. They are obliged to organize patrols of their plots, especially on weekends and holidays, to detect fires in time.
What about grills and barbecues
There is no general ban on grilling yet. Lighting fires is allowed in officially equipped and safe places — in special fire pits where there is no risk of flame spreading. Such places exist, for example, in parks of large cities.
However, rescuers ask to refrain even from this: under the current drought, even equipped places do not guarantee safety. If you plan to grill, choose only official fire pits and never leave the embers unattended.
What else can cause a fire — and how much it costs
Dry grass can be ignited even without open flames. Ignition can be caused by:
a discarded cigarette butt;
a glass bottle acting as a lens under the sun;
a hot car catalytic converter parked on dry grass.
For lighting a fire in an unauthorized place, an individual faces a fine of up to 331 euros. For entrepreneurs and legal entities, sanctions are much harsher — up to 16,596 euros, especially if the violation occurred in a protected area. A detailed list of restrictions with a map of districts was published by the Startitup publication.
If you notice smoke or fire in nature, call immediately: 112 — the single emergency number, or 150 — the fire service. Save our list of important phone numbers in Slovakia so you don’t have to search for numbers in a critical moment.
The period of increased danger will last at least until the end of the hot week: forecasts promise high temperatures for several more days in a row. So go for forest walks confidently, but wait for rain before lighting campfires, smoking, or grilling in the forest.
