Grave of Polish firefighter Paweł Ziętkowicz set ablaze in Biały Dunajec

On August 2, 2026, the second anniversary of the death of 25‑year‑old volunteer firefighter Paweł Ziętkowicz, his grave in Biały Dunajec, southern Poland, was set on fire. The blaze destroyed flower baskets, damaged the headstone and scattered memorial items.

His mother, Anna Ziętkowicz, reported the incident to police, saying she believes it was a deliberate act of retaliation linked to the earlier assault that led to Paweł’s death. Two weeks earlier a fellow firefighter, identified as Władysław M., had been charged with causing Paweł’s fatal injuries and placed under police supervision.

Police have opened an arson investigation; a surveillance camera that the family had installed at the grave was also destroyed. The case adds to ongoing tensions in the community over the 2024 altercation at the local fire station that resulted in Paweł’s death.