Fire ignition and spread

On Thursday, 28 May, at 13:30, a forest camera detected a fire near Międzyleś in the wołomiński powiat. Within minutes, strong winds pushed the flames into the crowns of pine trees, turning it into a fast-moving crown fire that spread across the wołomiński and miński districts. By Friday morning, the operational zone exceeded 300 hectares, with approximately 100 hectares of forest actively burning. A massive smoke cloud, stretching over 100 kilometres, was visible on satellite imagery and radar scans, described by meteorologist Tomasz Wasilewski as a flammagenitus cloud.

Firefighting operations

Over 800 firefighters from the State Fire Service (PSP) and Volunteer Fire Brigades (OSP) have been mobilised from across Poland, including units from Białystok, Olsztyn, Lublin, and Poznań. The force deploys more than 220 fire engines and works on five tactical sectors, dousing hotspots and establishing water supply lines. Air support resumed at 06:00 Friday with a police Black Hawk helicopter and four Dromader water-bomber planes. Drones equipped with thermal cameras and a Bayraktar UAV monitor for flare-ups. Additionally, 100 soldiers from the Territorial Defence Forces arrived at 07:00 to assist, and 500 police officers secure the perimeter, closing the national road DK50. Authorities appeal to residents to limit water usage to maintain pressure for firefighting.

“The night was used for very hard work. We managed to contain the fire to its current location. It is not spreading. The area is roughly 300 hectares.”

“The fire brigade is in contact with the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, which updates us every few moments on the wind situation.”

Cause investigation

Circumstances increasingly point to arson. Nadleśniczy Piotr Serafin of the Mińsk Forest District reported that the fire was initially detected by a camera on a forest tower, but a second ignition point was spotted ahead of the main fire front by the crew of a firefighting plane. Minister of Interior Marcin Kierwiński cautioned that it is too early to determine the cause definitively, while former PSP spokesperson Paweł Frątczak noted that nine out of ten forest fires in Poland are caused by humans.

“Our forest camera picked up one smoke, but the plane that flew over and made the first water drop claimed there was another fire ahead of the front that spread quickly. This may be the reason we can suppose it was arson.”

Evacuations and safety measures

As the fire threatened populated areas, authorities evacuated approximately 100 people from the vicinity. Earlier reports indicated 42 residents were moved from 20 buildings in the immediate danger zone, with most finding shelter with relatives and six staying in a school in Stanisławów. No further evacuations are currently planned.

Weather and outlook

Friday is described as critical for containment. Despite overnight success in extinguishing the crown fire, ground fires still smoulder and could reignite. Forecasts predict no rain and increasing wind gusts of 40–60 km/h by afternoon, which threaten to spread the flames again. Firefighting command remains in constant contact with meteorologists.

“The situation is still difficult, but in my opinion it looks better than it did in the evening. You can see that the night has been well spent by the firefighters and services.”