Fires of dry vegetation: danger and responsibility

This year, spring has begun to delight us with sunny and warm weather quite early. Many owners of household plots have started tidying up, and, as a rule, the first item in such preparation is the cleaning and burning of last year's leaves and branches.

However, such cleaning does not always go smoothly, especially when flammable liquids are used to speed up the process and elementary safety rules are not observed. And this often leads to disappointing consequences. This also applies to the burning of dry vegetation, which is prohibited by law!

According to the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Administrative Offenses of January 6, 2021 No. 91-Z:

for the illegal burning of dry vegetation, grass in the root, as well as stubble and post-harvest residues in fields, or failure to take measures to extinguish fires, guilty persons are brought to administrative responsibility in the form of a fine ranging from ten to thirty basic units (Article 16.40);

for setting fires in prohibited places, except for violations of fire safety requirements for which liability is provided for by other articles of the Special Part of the said Code, entails the imposition of a fine of up to twelve basic units (Article 16.41);

In addition, persons who have allowed illegal damage by burning dry vegetation, grass in the root, as well as stubble and post-harvest residues, are obliged to compensate for the environmental damage caused, the amount of compensation for which is determined by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus of April 11, 2022 No. 219. The amount of damage, depending on the type of land on which the burning was carried out, can reach up to 200 basic units per 1 hectare.