It only takes a moment…
Hvar is one of the great natural paradises of the world, but its beauty is a little fragile, and it just takes one careless moment. A careless moment such as a couple of years ago, when a local decided to have a barbecue which got out of control, with the resulting loss of 50,000m2 of pristine nature.
The dangers of forest fires are real, especially in these dry hot summers. Last year’s tragic events on Peljesac and Korcula are still fresh in the memory, and Hvar has also suffered its fair share of fires in recent years, most notably in 2003, and then a few years later, when a firefighter from Stari Grad lost his life protecting his beloved island.
The dreaded sound of fire engines were to be heard once more just after midday in Jelsa today, and according to our colleagues over at Otok Hvar, is was destination Poljica, where a fire had broken out on the road to Zastrazisce. The Jelsa Fire Brigade dealt with the emergency with expertise, but not before 500m2 of forest was lost. More information and pictures on the Otok Hvar website.
PLEASE be careful. The effects of one discarded cigarette butt or a badly managed barbecue can be devastating.
