Firefighting Association warns of high risk of wildfires

The Croatian Firefighting Association (HVZ) warned on Tuesday that the risk of wildfires remains high in parts of Croatia, despite rain in some areas bringing temporary relief on Monday.

According to the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service (DHMZ), there is a high fire risk around Dubrovnik, Pula, Karlovac, Slavonski Brod and Osijek. The risk is very high across the rest of Istria, the entire Kvarner region and much of Dalmatia, the HVZ said.

The association is urging residents and tourists to exercise extra caution and help prevent fires through responsible behaviour.

People are advised not to throw cigarette butts or glass into nature and reminded that lighting fires in open areas is prohibited. When using household barbecues, they should avoid doing so in windy conditions and make sure all embers are completely extinguished afterwards.

The HVZ is also urging people not to use pyrotechnics, including fireworks and signal flares.

In the event of a fire in a caravan or boat, where flames can spread rapidly, people should leave immediately if the fire cannot be safely extinguished in its initial stages.

The public is also urged not to interfere with firefighters during interventions or approach fires to watch, photograph or record them.

The HVZ has issued a particular warning about the use of drones near fires. Drones can endanger firefighting aircraft, forcing flight crews to immediately suspend operations if a drone is spotted in their area of activity. This can hamper efforts to prevent fires from spreading and put lives at risk.

Residents are also encouraged to keep their yards and surrounding areas clear of dry vegetation and other combustible material, helping reduce the risk of fires spreading to nearby buildings.

Anyone who spots a fire should immediately call the fire service on 193.