On 07.07.2022, a fire broke out in the afternoon on the Angyal-háza puszta of the Hortobágy National Park in Hajdúszoboszló. The flames spread very quickly in the brisk windy weather. At that time, livestock farms and other buildings were directly endangered, which were only saved by the resilience of local residents and workers and the intervention of the quickly deployed fire brigades. After the acute danger was averted, the flames continued to spread southwards, so much so that the initially estimated burnt area of ​​30 hectares had already consumed 265 hectares by the afternoon. In the meantime, the burnt area also spread to the Szelencés-puszta in Nádudvar. The flames were extinguished by 6 pm on the first day. The peculiarity of steppe fires is that flames spreading unhindered on the surface of the ground quickly burn dry grass, but at the same time, in patches (e.g. where there is dry cattle manure) higher temperatures develop, the soil heats up deeper, so that the glow spreads at the level of the root system of the grass tufts. From this, the observer only sees that a thin strip of smoke is formed, and the remaining grass tufts on the surface slowly, barely visible, char. Such places pose a danger for days after the fire starts, because all it takes is a crack in the ground, a cricket hole or a vole passage, where the glow reaches the air, and the flames flare up again. In order to detect new fires developing in this way, the HNPI Nature Conservation Service organized a monitoring service with the involvement of local farmers and shepherds. The brisk windy and heatwave weather continued in the following days. The black color of the charred ash covering the burnt soil surface heated up much faster, which further favored the development of spontaneous combustion. There were many examples of this, so the firefighting units had to intervene again at several points at once. On Saturday, June 9, the cooperation shown by the affected and unaffected agricultural organizations and farmers in the area in order to prevent the fire was exemplary. At one point, we sprayed the edge of the burnt area from 5 agricultural tankers at the same time, which is the best method of extinguishing the glow spreading below the soil surface. In the following days, no fires with open flames occurred, but the cooling of the glowing spots in the soil by spraying had to be carried out continuously. Thanks to the professional and careful interventions, the immediate danger was averted by June 14, so the chance of spontaneous combustion is currently minimal. Based on the available data, the destruction of nature conservation values ​​that can be detected in the burnt area is minimal. A field lark (Alauda arvensis) nest with 3 eggs was demonstrably destroyed. The destruction of further protected or highly protected natural values ​​has not been proven, but the mass destruction of arthropod communities and reptiles living in the grassland may be significant. In nature, there is no harm without benefit. Immediately after the fires, species appeared that consume locusts and field crickets that have lost their habitat or have become weakened due to the changed conditions. A number of highly protected species have been visiting the area ever since: 25-30 white storks, 4 grey herons, 1 each of the lesser spotted eagle, the sable falcon and the common buzzard, numerous owls, red and blue vultures, and 5 shrike regularly feed on the site. The Hortobágy National Park Directorate is helping to promote the regeneration of vegetation in the burned area by planting grass as necessary. Furthermore, by examining the area, it continuously collects data on the re-establishment of habitats and species. Thanks are due to the dedicated work of the units of the Fire Commands of the Hajdú-Bihar County Disaster Management Directorate. The monitoring service (alarm chain) of shepherds and livestock farm workers working in the area also greatly assisted the protection work. Agricultural companies working in the area provided us with numerous machines, which prevented the spread of further fires. The dry weather of the recent period has posed a great challenge to both people and nature: agriculture is struggling with an unprecedented drought, and natural systems and habitats are suffering greatly from the dry period resulting from the lack of precipitation. In 2022, the amount of precipitation in the region will not reach 100 mm, which is approx. 200 mm less than experienced in average years. The complete lack of wetlands and the dry nature of the vegetation all greatly facilitate the spread of fires. The Hortobágy National Park Directorate hereby strongly urges everyone to avoid starting fires caused by smoking, as there have been numerous small and large fires along roads in the region, which may have been caused by cigarette butts thrown from vehicles.