Croatian firefighters finally get some respite from recent onslaught of wildfires

Firefighters in Dalmatia finally got a well-deserved break on Sunday, after battling wildfires up and down the Dalmatian coast over the past three days. Following two very difficult and sleepless nights life in Omiš is slowly returning to normal. However, the damage caused by the catastrophic wildfire is still being assessed. The human toll as always is too high. One person was killed by the blaze. The identity of the deceased is being established through DNA testing, while, eight people who sustained serious injuries are still in critical condition.

Police in Zadar County have detained four people they suspect are responsible for deliberately starting wildfires in the wider Benkovac area. All four were apprehended while travelling together in a car. According to unconfirmed reports, the suspects are three locals from the Benkovac area and one foreign national. The police were alerted to the possible arsonists following reports from citizens who cited suspicious behavior. National Fire Chief Slavko Tucaković called on all citizens to report suspicious behavior in a bid to avoid new wildfires: “What's been happening isn't normal and it's not good. Obviously, cooperation between citizens, police and firefighters is important in apprehending and processing these arsonists.”

While visiting neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sunday to attend a commemoration for Croatian defenders killed in the Bosnian war, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ivan Anušić commented on calls in light of the recent devastating wildfires along the Croatian coast to have the military engaged in firefighting efforts. Minister Anušić stressed that the Croatian Army has been involved in fire extinguishing from the outset: “The army has been involved in every fire in which Canadair water bombers were active. I would remind the Croatian public that the fleet of Canadair water bombers falls within the Croatian Airforce, and that together with firefighters they comprise the backbone of Croatia's firefighting forces. This time, for the first time, at the request of the national Fire Chief Mr. Tucaković, we have included forty of our soldiers, who provided ground assistance to firefighters. The reason the army was involved is that our military training ground near Knin was under threat from the fires. But they are dispatched any time the fire chief makes a request, which means when there is a need. But generally speaking the Croatian Army does not respond to wildfires, because Croatian soldiers are not properly trained or equipped to fight wildfires as firefighters are.”

Minister Anušić also confirmed that the fire on the Dinarides, which had threatened the military training ground, has been brought under control and that the army remains on high alert. He also said that the penalties for arsonists should be stricter: “Obviously the penalties should be stricter. Last year or the year before that, when there were those massive wildfires in Brela and the surrounding areas, we also discussed the same thing - an unbelievable and illogical number of wildfires that all erupted in one day, at exactly the time that high winds were being forecast. Well, we watched the exact same thing today, yesterday and the day before yesterday. An illogical and unbelievable number of wildfires erupted, and at the end of the day we had camera footage that they were set intentionally. So, yes, the penalties should be much harsher. But monitoring and prevention also needs to be raised, especially in public areas that are close to residential areas. But definitely much stricter penalties for arsonists are required.”

Source: HRT