The Forest Department has warned the public that lighting fires within state forests or within two kilometres of their boundaries is strictly prohibited, with fines of up to €2,500 and court sentences of up to 12 years in prison for those who cause damage.
With summer approaching and fire risk described as extremely elevated, the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment is urging the public to take no chances with fire near forested areas.
The fines
Out-of-court fines for lighting a fire without a permit are scaled by season:
May to October (high-risk period): €2,500.
March, April and November: €1,000.
December to February: €500.
A court conviction can result in a prison sentence of up to five years, a fine of up to €25,000, or both.
For anyone who causes a fire in a state forest or the two-kilometre zone through reckless or negligent action — or failure to take precautions — the penalties are significantly heavier. Where damage is caused to forest, woodland or private property, the court can impose a prison sentence of up to 12 years, a fine of up to €100,000, or both.
When fires are permitted
Lighting a fire is permitted only for cooking, and only in the following circumstances: by picnickers within specially designated areas at organised picnic and camping sites; and by residents of homes within forests or the two-kilometre zone, in a specially designated outdoor area, or at catering and recreation establishments licensed by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism.
Fires up, damage down
The Forest Department recorded 232 fires in its area of responsibility in 2025, a 30% increase on the average for the decade 2015–2024. Despite the higher number of incidents, the total area burned fell by 84% to 109 hectares.
The average area burned per fire dropped to 0.7 hectares, against an average of 3.8 hectares over the previous decade, a reduction of 73.7%. In 91% of cases, fires were extinguished before spreading beyond one hectare. The average response time was 11.5 minutes. The Forest Department also assisted the Fire Service in extinguishing 98 open-country fires.
The fleet
Funded through the Recovery and Resilience Plan, the Forest Department says it now operates the largest ground fleet in its history: 135 firefighting vehicles of various types and water capacities, broken down as follows — 36 vehicles with a capacity below 1,000 litres; 39 with a capacity of 1,000–3,000 litres; 35 with a capacity of 3,000–5,000 litres; and 25 with a capacity above 5,000 litres.
The fleet also includes 20 tracked bulldozers, seven wheeled excavators, 11 agricultural tractors, six bulldozer transport vehicles and six 20-tonne water tankers.
Supporting the ground operation is a network of 25 staffed forest stations, 15 fire lookout posts, 32 observation points, 1,001 kilometres of firebreaks, 3,643 kilometres of forest roads, 234 water reservoirs, 234 hydrants, 39 helipads and 18 fire safety systems at picnic and camping sites.
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