August the 2nd, 2024 – The devastating Tučepi fire which caused havoc across the wider Makarska Riviera area has finally been dealt with. The cause has also been determined, with legal action to follow.
Summer is a prosperous time for Dalmatia, and it’s also a dangerous one. Wildfires are are common occurrence as the sun beats down mercilessly on the dry bush and trees that adorn Dalmatia’s rocky terrain. The illegal setting of campfires, barbecues and plain old idiocy in the form of arson are also a huge threat at this time of the year.
Something as simple as a carelessly discarded cigarette butt or shard of glass left in the direct sunlight for too long can lead to an out of control wildfire that engulfs homes, cars, and endangers human and animal lives alike. The Tučepi fire which became dangerously out of control and even did damage to the Biokovo Nature Park has finally been put out, and the cause has been determined following the diligent work of firefighters. The cause – a careless beekeeper.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, it has now been confirmed that the Gornji Tučepi fire was caused by a beekeeper who failed to completely extinguish the embers from a hive, announced the Split-Dalmatia police department.
Local police officers from Makarska completed the criminal investigation of the 65-year-old man on suspicion of committing a serious crime against general safety due to negligence (Article 222 paragraph 3 in conjunction with Article 215 paragraph 3 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Croatia).
After the investigation was completed, it was determined that the centre of the horrendous Tučepi fire was near the beehives, where the aforementioned 65-year-old threw away the embers from his smoker and poured water over it earlier that same day.
A criminal complaint will now be submitted to the Municipal State Attorney’s Office in Split, according to the associated press release.
