On May 22 of this year, extensive peat bog firefighting drills took place in the territory of Naudaskalns marsh, Balvi Parish, within the framework of the Latvia–Lithuania cross-border cooperation project “PeatFire” (No. LL-00007). The primary objective of the drills was to improve the professional skills of the involved services and partners in containing and extinguishing specific peat fires.
In the theoretical part of the training, participants analyzed the propagation mechanisms of peat fires, extinguishing tactics, and occupational safety requirements, while the practical phase simulated a real fire scenario under realistic conditions. During the practical drills, the services effectively utilized specialized machinery and equipment, including the deployment of a State Border Guard helicopter equipped with a specialized water bucket (Bambi Bucket) to ensure water delivery and suppression in hard-to-reach marsh areas. Furthermore, the organization of continuous water supply, the cooling of deep peat layers, and fire containment measures were practically tested.
Representatives from the Naudaskalns marsh managers, the State Border Guard, and the State Forest Service worked shoulder to shoulder during the drills, while Lithuanian partners participated as observers. This ensured a valuable exchange of experience and the transfer of best practices, which is a vital step toward strengthening cross-border cooperation and regional security.
These drills and other activities of the “PeatFire” project are co-funded by the European Union’s 2021–2027 Interreg VI-A Latvia–Lithuania Programme, providing investments to enhance the preparedness and response capabilities of the services in both countries.
