Storm damages southern Lithuanian forests, rescues campers

A strong windstorm swept southern Lithuania on Thursday night, toppling roughly 8,000 cubic metres of trees—mainly pine—in the Druskininkai and Varėna state forest districts. The fallen timber blocked access to the Veisiejų lake campsite, trapping several campers. State Forest Service (VMU) crews from the Druskininkai regional unit arrived on Friday morning, cleared the blocked roads and helped the campers evacuate safely, noting that no tents or vehicles caught fire.

Firefighters reported that in some cases up to 50 trees were removed in a single call, with a few trees falling on roads, cars and even a two‑storey apartment building. The storm also caused power outages for more than 2,000 customers across Varėna, Lazdijai and surrounding municipalities. In the town of Eišiškės, a newly renovated apartment block suffered roof damage from a large birch that was blown off. No injuries were reported. Ongoing work focuses on removing damaged spruce and fir to prevent the spread of bark‑beetle infestations.