PHOTOS: Hungary battles largest outdoor fire of the year, huge damage
Efforts to extinguish the largest outdoor fire of the year in Hungary continue as firefighters and support teams work around the clock near Csönge. The blaze, which has raged for four days, has prompted the allocation of a HUF 10 billion restoration fund to aid those whose forests have been ravaged by fire, drought, or pests.
Hungary’s largest outdoor fire in 2024
The fire, which ignited on Thursday in Vas County, has spread from agricultural lands into forested areas. Current reports indicate that the fire has affected around 1,000 hectares, including approximately 400 hectares of private forest, Világgazdaság reports.
On Sunday, around 300 people were involved in the firefighting efforts, including 30 staff members from Szombathelyi Erdészeti Plc., the local state forestry company. They provided vital support with their knowledge of the area, off-road vehicles, manual labour, and water tankers. The Hungarian Armed Forces, local forestry teams, and volunteers have also joined the effort to combat the blaze.
Forest restoration to take 10 years
Damage assessments will begin only after the fire is fully contained. The Ministry of Agriculture has indicated that forest restoration could take up to ten years. To assist in the recovery, the ministry has introduced a HUF 10 billion grant program for those impacted by the fires, drought, or biological threats.
Péter Zambó, the state secretary for forests and land affairs, emphasised the critical role of preserving and restoring Hungary’s forests, which are a vital part of the country’s natural heritage. He noted that climate change is exacerbating the challenges faced by forests, including severe droughts and increasingly frequent and intense fires.
The ministry has tripled its forest-related funding from previous budget cycles to about HUF 310 billion. In addition, new grant opportunities will be offered for fire prevention measures, including the creation of firebreaks, firewater reservoirs, and reducing the amount of combustible biomass, with nearly HUF 4 billion available in total.
Flames finally extinguished
The firefighters managed to extinguish the flames on the outskirts of Csönge in Vas County, where four hundred hectares of undergrowth, brush, straw bales and forest were burning between Csönge and Kenyeri, the spokesman of the Vas County Fire Department told MTI on Sunday.
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