On Wednesday morning, a fierce battle was underway in the Lublin region against one of the most serious forest fires in recent times. The fire broke out on Tuesday afternoon near the village of Kozaki in the Łukowa commune, Biłgoraj County, within the Józefów Forest District. Initially, around 100 hectares were reported to be affected, but according to a morning update from the State Forests, the estimated burned area has grown to around 300 hectares, with at least 100 hectares confirmed as burned.

The situation remains serious, although authorities report that the fire is no longer spreading as aggressively as on Tuesday. The firefighting efforts are hampered by difficult terrain, particularly marshy areas, limited road access, and wind, which rekindles fire spots and can carry embers to new sections of the forest. In the morning, the State Forests reported that the fire front was approximately 800 meters long, with operations focused on deploying fire service units into the terrain and creating firebreaks.

Significant forces from the State Fire Service, forest services, and aerial equipment have been deployed. In the morning, a State Forests helicopter and a police Black Hawk were involved in the operation. The State Forests announced that additional helicopters from the Szczecinek, Białystok, and Katowice directorates would be sent. From the air, crews identified locations where the wind had re-ignited the fire, directing aircraft there for water drops.

The most tragic moment of the operation was the crash of a Dromader firefighting aircraft. The plane, operating from the aviation base of the Regional Directorate of the State Forests in Warsaw, crashed during firefighting operations. The pilot died at the scene. The State Forests expressed condolences to the pilot’s family and loved ones. The circumstances of the crash are being investigated by the State Aviation Accident Investigation Commission and the prosecutor’s office.

The fire was detected thanks to the State Forests’ observation system. Jan Kowal, Director of the Regional Directorate of the State Forests in Lublin, reported that the alarm was raised between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Tuesday after the fire was spotted from a forest monitoring tower.

Representatives of the crisis management team are also on site. Minister of the Interior and Administration Marcin Kierwiński said in the morning that the situation is being continuously monitored, and the next few hours, along with the effectiveness of aerial operations, will be critical. The Chief Commander of the State Fire Service, Brig. Gen. Wojciech Kruczek, emphasized that extinguishing the fire could take several days, as it may continue to smolder under the forest floor and flare up again.

Due to the fire, Provincial Road No. 849 remains closed in the Kozaki area. Police have designated detours: from Józefów via Aleksandrów, and from Obsza via Łukowa and Księżpol toward Provincial Road No. 835. Drivers are asked to avoid the area and follow instructions from emergency services.

The fire in the Solska Forest illustrates how quickly, under strong wind and dry forest litter conditions, a small ignition can escalate into a large-scale operation requiring hundreds of personnel, firefighting aircraft, and a crisis management team. Although there are signs that the situation is stabilizing, authorities stress that full control of the fire and damage assessment will only be possible after operations are completed.