Rescue services in Östergötland are warning of extremely high fire risk after responding to a grass fire in Finspång on Sunday. According to Räddningstjänsten Östra Götaland, the fire could have become very serious but was brought under control.
Mikael Kalered, duty officer at Räddningstjänsten Östra Götaland, stated that the fire had the potential to spread to a nearby residential house. The rescue service faced a 20-25 minute response time due to the location being relatively inaccessible and strong winds. During that time, the fire reportedly grew from 20 by 20 meters to 50 by 50 meters.
the fire had the potential to spread to a nearby residential house
The dry, yellow grass from previous years poses a significant risk factor as many people head to summer cottages and consider burning twigs and similar materials. Kalered indicated that on a scale from one to five, the fire risk is currently at level five plus. He recommends that anyone planning to burn should notify the rescue service in advance.
While rescue services cannot impose burning bans themselves, Kalered noted that county administrative boards or municipalities have that authority. He suggested that given the current conditions with a weekend of sun and warmth ahead, such measures might be appropriate to prevent grass fires from developing into forest fires.
on a scale from one to five, the fire risk is currently at level five plus
He recommends that anyone planning to burn should notify the rescue service in advance
given the current conditions with a weekend of sun and warmth ahead, such measures might be appropriate to prevent grass fires from developing into forest fires