More than 100 firefighters are fighting the large blazes that are spreading fast due to strong wind
A fire broke out in Brodarica near Šibenik earlier today, around 10:40. The firefighters were quick to react, but the blaze was quicker: as the fire broke out near an inhabited area, the blaze was helped by strong bura and soon spread dangerously close to the houses in Brodarica, reports Index.
All available firefighting departments hurried to the site, along with a canadair aircraft. Residents in the area joined the battle against the blaze by soaking all the dry grass with water to prevent the fire spreading to the houses. According to the head of the firefighting department Šibenik, there were 60 firemen and 30 firetrucks on the site. Two houses suffered minimal damage, but most importantly, no people were injured.
Another large forest fire broke out in Prpuša village in the municipality of Šestanovac this morning. The firefighters were called at 8:50, and due to the size of the affected area, all available forces were sent from volunteer firefighting departments of Imotski, Lovreć, Zagvozd, Omiš, Kučić, and Dugi Rat. Prefect of Split-Dalmatia County Blaženko Boban stated that both the firefighting forces and the local population are fighting to prevent the blaze from spreading to Šestanovac.
A couple of hundred hectares of pine forest burned down. Head of the Volunteer Firefighting Department Omiš Višeslav Pešić explained the fire was quick to spread because of the wind and high temperatures. “We’re circling around the site of the blaze trying to tame it, but on multiple occasions, while we were putting out the fire on one location, another fire broke out a couple of hundred meters away”, he said, adding that the phenomenon occurs during heavy droughts. As little as ash falling on dry grass is enough to create another blaze.
Up to this point, the brave firemen saved more than 20 villages in the area. However, due to strong bura that blows up to a 100 km per hour, the fire at Šestanovac continues to spread further. Residents of Gornji Kekezi have been evacuated, and the villages of Merčepi, Vukušići and Ribičić are next in the line of fire.
More than a hundred firefighters and around 40 trucks are on the site, still battling the blaze.
Photo credit: Index.hr (sent in by readers and members of firefighting departments)
