Firefighters battle overnight peat bog blaze in Kupiškis district

Fire crews worked through the night to contain a large peat fire in the Šepeta bog near Bukėnai village in Lithuania’s Kupiškis district, public broadcaster LRT reported Tuesday.

By early morning, scattered fires were still burning across roughly four hectares of the bog, according to Konradas Liekis, senior specialist at the Fire and Rescue Department’s Situation Coordination Division. “Company employees will begin gathering at dawn to assist with the firefighting efforts,” Liekis said, adding that crews hope to declare the fire localized later in the day.

Ten fire trucks and ten units of heavy machinery remain on site. Favorable weather conditions have aided suppression efforts, though firefighters continue active operations.

The blaze was first reported Monday at 13:23 local time after smoke was spotted near Bukėnai. Upon arrival, crews confirmed the fire had spread across approximately 15 hectares of the 50-hectare bog. Authorities issued a short-range alert to residents within a 15-kilometer radius, warning of potential air pollution and advising them to stay indoors with windows closed. The Environmental Protection Agency was also notified.