Rising air temperatures increase the risk of forest fires. The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia is urging the population to exercise special caution when moving through forests and to comply with all established regulations.
"Lighting fires in the forest is prohibited under tree canopies, in coniferous forests, in areas previously affected by fires, in damaged forest areas (uprooted or broken trees), in forest clearings not cleared of logging debris, in places where felled timber has been left, as well as in peatlands and dry grasslands.
In other forest areas, making a fire is allowed only after preparing a designated fire site (a fire pit).
Preparing a fire pit involves clearing a radius of 1.5 meters around the fire site from easily flammable materials such as hay, dry grass, leaves, and twigs.
According to Georgia’s Code of Administrative Offenses, violations of fire safety regulations in forests that lead to the ignition or spread of a fire across a certain area, as well as the destruction or damage of forest due to arson or careless handling of fire, will result in a fine ranging from 300 to 500 lari.
In cases where a forest fire is caused by negligence, the law provides for imprisonment from four to eight years," the statement says.
