Record vegetation fires in Romania

The number of vegetation fires recorded in Romania in June this year tripled compared to the same period last year, according to data centralized by the National Agency for Environmental Protection.

The agency's president, Laurentiu Alexandru Paștinaru, blames arsonists who set fire to waste, forests and fields, which led to a 25% increase in the number of vegetation fires this year, despite the measures taken on the ground by public order and control authorities.

Laurentiu Pastinaru says that in most cases in recent years, the culprits have not been caught and some probably don't even realize what disasters they have caused by, for example, throwing a lit cigarette out of a car window.

Translated by: Radu Matei