First Baltic Conference on Forest Fires

Radom – Katowice, Poland, 5-8 May 1998

At the 13th Session of the Joint FAO/ECE/ILO Committee on Forest Technology, Management and Training, held on 2-3 June 1997 in Jonkoping (Sweden), it was recommended to organize the First Baltic Conference on Forest Fires in Poland. The proposal of 1996 addressed by the Chairman of the Team of Specialists on Forest Fire to the Polish Minister of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry was accepted during this session. As agreed by the 13th session of the Steering Committee of the Joint FAO/ECE/ILO Committee on Forest Technology, Management and Training, the Team of Specialists on Forest Fire, led by Mr. Johann Georg Goldammer (Germany), co-sponsored the Conference.

The Conference was held under the auspices of the Minister of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry. The main goals of the Conference were to:

• Discuss problems of forest fires occurring on areas of states located in the region of the Central and Northern Europe;
• Present the current status of knowledge on impact of present economic activity on occurrence of fires, their expansion as well as presentation of new methods for their fighting;
• Discuss strategic activities aimed at reduction of ecological losses and economic losses by fires; and
• Discuss facilitation of international cooperation in firefighting along and across borders of states of the region.

Outcomes of the conference

The Conference Group I

The Conference Group II (at the file demonstration site) with conference host Tytus Karlikowski and co-sponsor, Johann Georg Goldammer, Leader, UNECE/FAO/ILO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire

Conference hosts: Mr. Tytus Karlikowski, Mr. Dariusz Bąk (Director of Regional Directorate of State Forests in Radom) and his deputy, Mr. Stanisław Tomczyk

Mr. Kazimierz Szabla, Chief of Forest District Rudy Raciborskie

Tracked firefighting vehicles

The tracked firefighting vehicle operator

Tracked firefighting vehicle team

Demonstration of aerial firefighting resources – fixed-wing (PZL Dromader) and helicopters (MI-8)

Demonstration of aerial firefighting – MI-8

Demonstration of aerial firefighting deploying foam (PZL Dromader)

Closing aerial firefighting demo – display of the national colors of Poland
 
Photos: © Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC)