On Friday, July 17, at 13.25, the State Hydrometeorological Service issued a yellow code fire danger warning, valid for five days — from Saturday, July 18, until Wednesday, July 22. The code is yellow, but the warning’s text announces «exceptional danger of vegetation fires» in the areas concerned. The Ungheni city hall relayed the warning on Friday evening: «18-22 July - fire danger! Be cautious!».
On Saturday morning, the hydrometeorologists added a second warning, also yellow code, for heat. On July 18 and 19, the air temperature reaches +33…+34 °C. The two phenomena feed each other — the heat dries the vegetation even further, and dry vegetation catches fire from a spark.
What the yellow code actually means
On the SHS warning scale, yellow means «potentially dangerous» conditions — phenomena common for the country’s territory, but which «may temporarily become dangerous for certain socio-economic activities». It is not a code of panic; it is a code of discipline — five days in which a cigarette butt tossed at the roadside or a «small, under control» fire in the garden can set an entire field alight.
Why it is serious right now
The vegetation across the district is already dry after the heat waves of June and early July, when temperatures reached +36…+38 °C. The consequences have already shown. On July 8, the waste dump in Costuleni burned once again, and the town halls of Costuleni and Cioropcani issued warnings to residents. On the same day, nationwide, the firefighters of the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU) reported 16 vegetation fires extinguished in just 24 hours, with about 35 hectares affected.
What the law forbids — and what it costs
Open-field burning of plant waste, of any origin, is an offence — article 115 of the Contravention Code. The fine for individuals is 200–300 conventional units, that is 10.000–15.000 lei, or unpaid community work; for legal entities, the sanction climbs to 40.000 lei. And the law is enforced — in 2025, more than 273 offence reports were drawn up nationwide, with fines exceeding 1,25 million lei.
The rules of the five days
The authorities’ recommendations — firefighters, meteorologists, town halls — in short. No open fire near dry vegetation — not for garden waste, not at a picnic. Cigarettes are put out completely, not tossed on the go. A fire that gets out of control is reported immediately at 112. And in the heat — avoid exertion during peak hours, look after the elderly and children; swimming remains safe only in designated areas, with lifeguards on duty.
The warning and the map of the areas concerned are updated on meteo.md, as the weather evolves.