Eastern Poland forest fire kills pilot, scorches over 200 hectares

WARSAW, May 6 – A pilot was killed and more than 200 hectares of forest scorched after a firefighting plane crashed while battling a major blaze in eastern Poland’s protected Solska Forest, the country’s interior minister said on Wednesday.

The fire broke out on Tuesday afternoon near the village of Kozaki in Biłgoraj County.

There was no reason to suspect the fire was deliberately set, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński told Radio Zet.

“We’re dealing with a very dry period. Forests and conifers catch fire very easily, and fire spreads very easily,” he said, adding that police Black Hawk helicopters were deployed to contain the blaze.

The situation remained serious, he said, with multiple fires in hard‑to‑reach areas, and the next few hours would be decisive in determining how the fire could be brought under control.

One of the firefighting planes crashed in the area, killing the pilot, a spokesperson for the regional governor said on Tuesday.

Kierwiński said there were no plans to evacuate nearby residents, noting the nearest buildings were four to five kilometers from the fire. REUTERS