Hundreds of straw bales on fire in Anykščiai district

A large fire broke out on Monday in Debeikiai municipality, Anykščiai district. A massive pile of straw bales caught fire in an open area in the village of Čekonii, requiring lengthy extinguishing work and additional machinery.

The scale of the fire is impressive

When the first firefighters arrived, the scene was ominous: around 400 stacked bales of straw were burning in open flames.

The fireplace covered an area approximately 10 metres wide, 50 metres long and 4 metres high.

The high volume and density of the straw meant that the fire spread rapidly and the extinguishing of the fire was complicated by the fact that the straw was deep inside the straw, which meant that pouring water in from the outside was not sufficient.

Special techniques were used

In order to control the fire and fully extinguish the blaze, firefighters had to use heavy machinery. The rescue operation involved:

Two forklifts from the company, which were used to lift the straw bales in sections from the burning pile;

A water truck, which ensured an uninterrupted water supply;

Fire brigades to extinguish each separated bale.

Losses and causes

Most of the fodder stocks were burnt or irreparably damaged in the fire. The circumstances of the incident and the origin of the fire are currently under investigation by specialists.

There were no casualties.