Czech firefighters report fewer incidents on Witches Night than last year

Last evening's bonfires, known as Čarodějnice, or sometimes Pálení čarodějnic (Burning of Witches) or Filipojakubská noc (Philip and Jacob’s Night) was relatively calm for firefighters, while emergency medical services were busy throughout the night.

Jan Sýkora, the spokesman for the Central Bohemian fire department, told ČTK today that firefighters across Czechia responded to 69 fires during witch burnings this year, which was 19 less than last year. In some regions, including Prague, firefighters didn't have to intervene in any fires related to the April 30 tradition.

Fire and Rescue Service of the Czech Republic tweeted that people had reported in advance more than 7,500 fires. "Thanks to this, a significant number of false alarms were eliminated," noted the firefighters. From Sunday evening to Monday morning, they recorded 33 fires in the natural environment, including garbage and landfills.

However, emergency medical services dealt with dozens of incidents, mostly related to alcohol. In central Bohemia, three people were burned. 

Clear skies yesterday allowed the Metop3 polar satellite to record an image of the Czech Republic and its immediate surroundings on Sunday evening that gave a clear picture of lit fires, which appeared as bright dots against the background.

According to Czech Hydrometeorological Office (ČHMÚ), the image is all the more valuable given that cloudless weather on April 30 is not a given.