Firefighters removed fallen trees 208 times across Lithuania in July

Lithuania’s Fire and Rescue Department (PAGD) reported that firefighters responded 208 times in July to remove trees that had fallen across roads and other areas due to stormy and rainy weather, according to LRT.

The actual number of fallen trees is believed to be much higher, as firefighters often find additional downed trees upon arriving at a single call. For example, on the evening of July 2, firefighters in the Šalčininkai district’s Jašiūnai eldership removed 30 fallen trees blocking a road between Paupys and Ožkelaičiai villages.

In the past day alone, firefighters were called out 31 times to clear fallen trees, with the highest number of incidents in Kaunas County (7), followed by Vilnius County (5), Klaipėda and Marijampolė (4 each), Šiauliai and Telšiai (3 each), Alytus and Utena (2 each), and Panevėžys (1). Most calls involved trees blocking roads and posing traffic hazards.

Firefighters also assisted in cases where fallen trees had severed high-voltage power lines. In such situations, the area is cordoned off, and trees are only removed after electricity supply is cut off by power company workers.

A day earlier, firefighters cleared trees that had fallen on cars in Vilnius, Klaipėda, Palanga, and Neringa, as well as those blocking roads. In all cases, trees were cut with chainsaws, removed from vehicles and road surfaces, and traffic was restored. No injuries were reported, though several cars were damaged.

So far this year, firefighters have responded 913 times to remove damage caused by strong winds. Utena County recorded the most such operations (168), followed by Kaunas (155), Klaipėda (138), Alytus (99), Vilnius (66), Tauragė (62), Panevėžys (59), Marijampolė (54), Šiauliai (49), and Telšiai (32).

May was the stormiest month this year, with 205 rescue operations, followed by April (194), June (189), and the first days of July (177). The highest single-day count was on May 27, with 57 calls. Other peak days included April 6 (53 calls), July 8 (51), and June 11 (40).

Long-term statistics show that firefighters are increasingly dealing with storm damage, with July typically seeing the highest number of such incidents. In July 2024, firefighters conducted 1,555 tree removal operations, compared to 209 in July 2025.

Firefighters advise the public to avoid parking vehicles under trees or near power and communication lines during strong or gusty winds. If broken power lines are spotted, people should stay away and immediately report the hazard to emergency services by dialing 112.