Other events in Baltic States

The risk of forest fires remains very high in the majority of forests in Lithuania, foresters warns, and people are encouraged to be cautious during the upcoming weekend, reported LETA/BNS. 

Services remain on standby and the situation could be improved by longer and abundant rain, Marius Pulkauninkas, director of the State Forest Service, says.

"Forests are dry and need long and abundant rain. Brief rainfall for an hour or so helps for some time but more rain is necessary," he told BNS Lithuania on Thursday.

The highest, 5th level, risk of forest fires will be in place in more than a third of Lithuania's territory, with the lowest risk in western Lithuania.

Figures from the Fire and Rescue Department show some 2,900 hectares of open territories, mainly grass, have been burnt in Lithuania since January, and forest fires engulfed a total territory of 3 hectares.