A group of thirteen-year-old boys in Daugavgriva (Ust-Dvinsk) set dry grass on fire during the recent Easter holidays.
Local residents rushed to catch the boys and call the firefighters — by the time the rescuers arrived, the flames had already spread over a significant area, reports the show Degpunktā (TV3).
"Are you even normal? Hey, stop! Little ******," the shock and anger of the residents of Daugavgriva sharply contrasted with the joy and irresponsibility of the teenagers. The boys had set fire to dry grass and reeds in a marshy area, and the adults hurried to stop them. Soon, the locals managed to catch the boys.
"There’s no need to run away," one of the locals said. To this, the boy replied, "I didn’t hear, I didn’t do anything!" However, the locals stated, "It’s okay, it’s okay, the police will come — we’ll sort it out."
The ignited dry grass from a small smoking patch soon turned into a fire covering thousands of square meters. "With the wind, it went further, further, and further. The wind died down — and then it went out. And then it flared up again. The firefighters arrived and quickly extinguished it," said local resident Andis.
The commander of the State Fire and Rescue Service post in Bolderāja, Intars Miglans, noted that the dry grass burned over an area of 5,000 square meters — with the help of hand tools and a sprayer, the fire was successfully localized.
Local resident Andis noted that there were many children on the scene, they were in several groups, and it was difficult to identify the culprits of the arson at that moment. Nevertheless, law enforcement officials report that a group of thirteen-year-old boys is suspected in the case. They have one more year before criminal responsibility kicks in, so this time they will get off with educational measures.
Residents of Daugavgriva note that watching the meadow engulfed in flames — both from windows and during walks — has become an "annual tradition." Andis says, "I think they just have nothing to do."
Firefighters from Bolderāja also point out that responding to reed fires in Daugavgriva is guaranteed work every spring. However, both there and throughout Latvia this year, the scale of dry grass fires is causing concern among rescuers.
"Last year there were 956 such fires, and now there are already 606. Weather conditions contribute to their spread. In one place, we are preparing for floods, in another — dry grass is being set on fire," noted Miglans.
Firefighters also remind that intentionally setting dry grass on fire can be very costly: fines for individuals range from 280 to 700 euros, and for legal entities — from 1400 to 4300 euros.
