Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the aerial assets were the key to halting the blaze.
"We are counting on the introduction of helicopters, as we planned from the early morning hours, to finally stop the spread of the fire," he said at a briefing in Józefów, cautioning that a forecast wind shift could complicate efforts.
National Fire Service Chief Wojciech Kruczek said the fire front stretched roughly 800 meters and continued to advance slowly, with the nearest buildings about six kilometers away.
By Wednesday morning, 48 fire units were on the ground, with 58 more expected shortly after dawn, drawn from the Lublin and Małopolska regions.
A Black Hawk helicopter, a State Forests aircraft and a large-area forest fire module from the Podkarpacie region were also engaged, with additional helicopters and Dromader aircraft to follow.
Biłgoraj county chief Andrzej Szarlip said more than 100 hectares had been destroyed and that large-scale replanting would likely be necessary.
The Government Security Center (RCB) issued smoke warnings for the municipalities of Łukowa, Józefów and Aleksandrów, urging residents to close windows, stay indoors, switch off ventilation and prepare documents and medication in case of evacuation.
Climate Minister Paulina Henning-Kloska said thermal cameras were being used to monitor ground temperature as forest services conducted aerial assessments at dawn.
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Source: PAP, Polish Radio
Click on the audio player above for a report by Marcin Matuszewski.