Midsummer Eve kept police and rescue services busy
During the extended Midsummer holiday period, police registered 317 crime reports and 889 misdemeanors, while rescue services handled 101 calls, including large or unattended bonfires and fires.
The extended Midsummer holiday period proved busy for Estonia's police and rescue services. Between June 19 and 23, the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) registered 317 crime reports and 889 misdemeanors. There were 38 traffic accidents with injuries, resulting in three deaths and 45 injured individuals.
According to Inna Toater, operations chief of the Northern Prefecture, police deploy additional staff every year during the Midsummer holidays based on experience that this is when people most often need assistance. This year, the majority of calls were linked to excessive alcohol consumption.
Police checked the sobriety of over 32,000 drivers; more than 80 had consumed alcohol, averaging 16 impaired drivers per day—fewer than last year's daily average of 20. Officers also intervened in nearly 290 speeding cases.
Police responded to nearly 210 domestic violence incidents, more than last year. Notably, in 46 cases a child was either a victim or a witness. Six restraining orders were issued. Over 190 intoxicated individuals who posed a danger to themselves or others were taken to detox facilities.
Rescue services received 101 calls within 24 hours. Erkki Põld of the Rescue Board said that serious incidents were few. There were four forest or grassland fires, and in ten cases firefighters extinguished oversized, unattended, or hazardous bonfires.
Around 4 a.m. on Saaremaa, a bonfire ignited a house terrace, burning about four square meters. Firefighters prevented major damage. In Harku municipality, an unattended pile of branches caught fire in the forest, posing a wildfire risk. In Setomaa, firefighters extinguished a large bonfire near hay and a tractor; the owner was argumentative, requiring police intervention.
Põld reminded the public to follow safety rules: choose the right location and time for bonfires, keep them on non-flammable ground at least eight meters from buildings or forest, clear combustible material, avoid strong winds, and keep water or extinguishers nearby.
Last Midsummer Eve, rescue services received 65 calls, including 28 forest or grassland fires and fewer than ten bonfire-related incidents.
