PROTECTION OF FORESTS FROM FIRES IN THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS: STATUS AND WAYS FOR IMPROVEMENT

Forests on the territory of the Republic of Belarus are potentially fire hazardous. The organization of work to protect forests from fires at the republican and territorial levels is carried out by the Ministry of Forestry, its relevant structural divisions, legal entities involved in forestry, as well as emergency departments (aircraft protection of forests) of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. In the forest fund in 1959-2022. 139.7 thousand fires occurred on a total area of 222.9 thousand hectares. Based on the analysis of long-term statistical data, it was revealed that the main cause of forest fires is the anthropogenic factor. Methods and means for forecasting and monitoring forest fires and regulating the work of forest fire services are presented. A multi-level system for monitoring forest fires using ground, aviation and aerospace methods operates throughout the country, which ensures the efficiency of their detection. Information on fire-prevention arrangement of the forest fund is presented. In accordance with forest fire zoning, the country’s territory is divided into three forest fire zones, which makes it possible to objectively plan labor and financial resources for fire prevention in the forest fund. The main units of forest fire services are fire-chemical stations of various types, as well as points where fire equipment is concentrated. To fight forest fires, aviation equipment, fire trucks, all-terrain vehicles, water delivery tanks, motor pumps of various capacities, forest fire modules, backpack fire extinguishers of various modifications, fire-retardant chemical compositions and other specialized equipment are used. Registration of forest fires is carried out by legal entities engaged in forestry and their higher authorities on the basis of acts on forest fires, and state registration is carried out by the National Statistical Committee. Ways to improve the protection of forests from fires are outlined, ensuring minimization of their area and damage caused.