Experienced firefighter dies battling forest fire in Lazdijai district

A veteran firefighter with over 30 years of service died while extinguishing a forest fire in Lazdijai district on Tuesday, local officials confirmed to LRT.

The firefighter, part of the Veisiejai municipal fire and rescue team, collapsed during operations to contain a blaze covering roughly 10 hectares in Šilainė village, Veisiejai eldership. Despite immediate resuscitation efforts by colleagues and paramedics, he was pronounced dead at 9:29 AM, the Fire Protection and Rescue Department (PAGD) reported.

Lazdijai Mayor Ausma Miškinienė expressed condolences, calling the loss “an indescribable tragedy for our entire community.” The firefighter, born in 1966, had served for more than three decades. “His bravery and sacrifice will never be forgotten,” Miškinienė wrote in a public statement.

Emergency crews from Lazdijai, Druskininkai, and forestry services worked together to localise the fire, which broke out around 8:00 AM. Authorities confirmed no civilians were harmed, and the blaze was fully extinguished by 10:22 AM. The circumstances of the firefighter’s death remain under investigation.

Interior Minister Vladislavas Kondratovičius also offered condolences, acknowledging the “painful loss for both the fire service and society.” The PAGD director, Renatas Požėla, described the incident as “a profound blow to the entire firefighting community.”