Since late December 2025, a rise in fire-related fatalities has been recorded in Belarus’s Hrodna Region. According to the Investigative Committee, fires have claimed the lives of 12 people, with a total of 14 injured. For comparison, nine people died in fires in the region over the same period a year earlier.
The main cause of the tragedies remains careless handling of fire while smoking, with at least seven such cases established. In several incidents, the victims were intoxicated: according to official data, five of the 12 people who died had consumed alcohol shortly before the fires.
The fires occurred both in private houses and in apartments. One such case took place in the agrotown of Derevnaya in Slonim District, where a residential house caught fire at around 9:00 p.m. on the last day of December. Rescuers found the body of a 54-year-old man in one of the rooms. Investigators determined that the fire was caused by smoking; the man had consumed alcohol shortly before the blaze.
Another tragedy occurred on January 2 in the village of Osmolovo in Navahrudak District. At around 11:00 p.m., a residential house caught fire, killing an 81-year-old woman and her 54-year-old son. Experts concluded that the fire resulted from violations of fire safety rules while smoking; both victims were intoxicated.
In addition to smoking, fires have also been caused by violations of rules for operating electrical wiring, electrical equipment, stoves and gas appliances. In late December, at around 3:00 a.m., a report was received about a house fire in the village of Putsevichy in Navahrudak District. The body of the 80-year-old homeowner was found in a room with a gas stove and electric heaters. Experts established that the fire was caused by improper use of the gas stove, which led to a short circuit in the wiring.
A similar incident occurred on January 9 in Svislach. During the day, an apartment in a multi-storey building caught fire, killing a 78-year-old man. During an inspection, burnt cookware with food was found on the gas stove. Expert examinations showed that the fire occurred due to violations of gas appliance operating rules.
