August the 30th, 2022 - Fifteen whole years have passed since the devastating Kornati tragedy took the lives of twelve out of the 23 firefighters sent to the island of Kornat to battle the wildfires that had broken out there on the 30th of August, 2007.

A series of horrendous wildfires broke out between June the 1st and August the 8th, 2007, and the period is even referred to as the 2007 Croatian coast fires. The fire which broke out on the island of Kornat, part of the heavily visited Kornati National Park, became the horrific scene of the worst Croatian firefighting accident in the history of firefighting in this country.

As Morski writes, twelve tremendously brave and selfless firefighters lost their lives either at the scene on the island of Kornat, or died later on when in hospital. The only survivor at that time was 23-year-old Frane Lucic from Tisno.

In Vodice, the commemoration of another sad anniversary of the Kornati tragedy began with a parade of local fire brigades. The pilots of the 855th firefighting squadron of the HRZ also paid their respects to the firefighters with a canadair flight over the town, writes HRT.

At the monument to the victims, a model of the helicopter that flew over the Kornati National Park on the fateful day, as well as the black box from that aircraft, which was subsequently lost, were placed.

''Our message that we wanted to showcase with this is that the black box was removed from the helicopter and was lost on the day of the accident and it has still not be found, fifteen years have now passed and the question arises as to why it even disappeared in the first place,'' said Matija-Karlo Valincic, president of the Vodice Fire Brigade.

Some of the families of the fallen firefighters who lost their lives to the fire that day still think that they were doused with kerosene from a helicopter. Officially, according to experts, the Kornati tragedy was caused by different versions of a "rare natural phenomenon" - an eruptive fire, the combustion of an inhomogeneous gas mixture and a fire with an eruptive effect. In the case against former fire chief Drazen Slavica, the court rejected the possibility that the firefighters died due to the effects of kerosene. In the meantime, Slavica has been legally acquitted and will now sue the state.

Despite the passage of time and the chances of getting answers seeming to get further and further away as the clock ticks, the families whose lives have been stuck in summer 2007 ever since the Kornati tragedy aren't giving up on their search for the truth and for justice. They have jointly submitted a constitutional complaint and requests to the European Court of Human Rights.

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August the 30th, 2022 - The Air Force of the Croatian Armed Forces has spent over 800 hours flying in Croatian skies during the height of the summer season this year, as wildfire outbreaks increased in the scorching weather which created a dangerous, tinder dry landscape.

As Morski writes, since the beginning of the second part of the firefighting season this summer, the Air Force of the Croatian Armed Forces has participated in extinguishing as many as 102 wildfires in several different counties, performing 5,682 different flights in total.

Most of these interventions, as usual, took place in the coastal areas of the country, where the heatwave and droughts have caused a number of fires, some of which caused extensive damage. The one which raged near Sibenik will remain in most people's memories.

The air force put out the most fires, thirty, in Split-Dalmatia County, 24 in Zadar County, 21 in Sibenik-Knin County, 12 in Istria County, seven in Lika-Senj County, five in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, two in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and one in Sisak-Moslavina County. On firefighting tasks in II. phase of this summer's fire season, 5,682 flights were realised, about 841 hours of flying were achieved and about 28,693 tonnes of water was released in different areas.

The unmanned aerial systems team was engaged seven times and carried out about 14 flights in Croatian skies with the BZS Orbiter 3 in monitoring high-risk areas for fire outbreaks.

In addition to all of the above, as many as 49 reconnaissances were carried out by fire-fighting aircraft in the coastal counties of the country. A total of 276 requests for extinguishing wildfires have been received by the Croatian Fire Association throughout 2022 so far. On the mentioned tasks, 6,298 flights were carried out, about 948 hours of flying were achieved, and about 31,393 tonnes of water was used, the Croatian Ministry of Defense (MOD) recently announced.

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August the 21st, 2022 - As fires continue to rage across Europe, with even colder countries like the United Kingdom having been the frequent victim of what are, in that country, freak incidents involving wildfires, Croatia is no exception. According to one expert, 71% more Croatian wildfires have broken out in 2022 than back in 2021.

As Morski writes, the Croatian coast is a victim of wildfires every summer, but this year has caused concern among those who follow such situations. In an interview with HTV 4 recently, chief fire commander Slavko Tucakovic assessed this summer as having, at least so far, been quite exhausting for fire brigades, due to the large number of Croatian wildfires, prolonged periods of drought and horrifically high temperatures.

''This year we've had as many as 71 percent more fires compared to last year, and as for the burnt areas, they're 170 percent larger this year,'' he stated.

Over the last month, there were no less than 30 outdoor fires, and on one day as many as 84 Croatian wildfires were recorded. With exceptional efforts with the help of the air force, they were all brought under control very quickly. Only a couple of days ago there were 40 active Croatian wildfires raging, but the current situation is good, it's stable, calm and under control,'' assured Tucakovic, noting that this year a firefighter tragically died near Orasac close to Dubrovnik, as did a civilian on the island of Hvar. He once again called on people to follow all of the proper instructions in regard to fires.

Mines which are still sitting under the ground are also a particular problem for Croatian wildfires

When extinguishing the fires in more rural, difficult to access areas of scrubland, firefighters are worryingly still coming across remaining mines, which poses an additional, potentially extremely serious problem.

When asked whether at the end of this year's summer tourist season, someone should be held responsible for all of the problems which arose from slow canadair repairs and the like, Tucakovic replied that he can only say that a complete analysis of all of the interventions will be carried out, everything will be put down on paper and preparations for the next fire season will begin immediately. He also referred to the potentially devastating crime of arson, praising the police for doing their job very well, given the fact that a large number of criminals were discovered and dealt with this year as well.

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ZAGREB, 18 July 2022 - The wildfire that broke out in the Zaton and Raslinje areas of Šibenik-Knin County last Wednesday, was declared extinguished on Monday morning, the county 112 emergency call center said.

The fire spread over an estimated 3,300 hectares of land, consuming grass, underbrush, woods, and agricultural crops.

Commenting on the fire at a press conference in Šibenik, Interior Minister Davor Božinović said that 30 houses, several cars and boats, and three agricultural machines had burnt down in the conflagration.

"The damage is being assessed. We need to be aware that the climate in Europe and the world is changing and that climate change is happening faster than expected. Every year, temperatures are higher and drought periods are longer," Božinović said.

He said that state-of-the-art vehicles have been purchased through EU funds and handed over to the fire service for deployment in the field.

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July the 18th, 2022 - The devastating Sibenik fires which have burned down houses recently have worked to remind us of the dangers of the dry Dalmatian landscape and the extremely harsh rays of the summer sun at this time of year. 

While wildfires break out in Croatia, particularly in Dalmatia, at this time of year almost like clockwork, the human cost is always staggering and unfathomable. To lose your house in a blaze and be able to do absolutely nothing about it is incomprehensible to most people, but a rapid response to this has seen families who have lost their homes to the most recent Sibenik fires get mobile homes to move into.

As Morski writes, during the night, prefabricated houses arrived in Zaton and Raslina, two heavily affected areas of the most recent Sibenik fires, for the families who lost their homes to move into. The move currently involves two families, one from Raslina and one from Zaton, and as Boris Dukic, president of the Zaton Local Board, said, one family should be moving into the house today.

''We've now taken the first step, the prefab houses arrived during the night, their connection to the electricity and water supply will follow, and then we'll move on. A family from Zaton, a husband and wife, should move into the house today. People are coming forward and offering us help, and the next step is to take care of these families, to build them a proper, permanent home. Everyone has really got involved and I believe and hope that everything will be resolved in the shortest possible time,'' said Dukic.

A family consisting of a mother with several children was also left without a roof over their heads in Raslina owing to the tragic Sibenik fires, and they should enter their temporary house on Tuesday or Wednesday this week at the very latest.

''We still have to level the ground and everything should be ready by the middle of the week at the latest. As for the renovation of their home, I believe that they'll be able to welcome the winter in a brand new one, because people got involved right away, offering help, we've already solved the installations and the renovation of the roof, which is fifty percent of the work,'' said Marko Lokas, the president of MO Raslina, reports local portal SibenikIN.

On Saturday, a meeting of the Zaton Local Board was held with the heads of the County and City crisis headquarters, Darko Dukic and Danijela Mileta, and with the fire chiefs, where steps were agreed on to report damage to residential and commercial buildings, as well as to agricultural crops after declaring a state of natural disaster following the Sibenik fires.

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ZAGREB, 14 July 2022 - Interior Minister Davor Božinović said on Thursday that we were ready for the wildfire season and the services did a good job at the site of Wdnesday's wildfire near Šibenik.

"We were prepared for the wildfire season and services did a good job. We have to be aware that climate change is the main change that is occurring and will continue in the years to come."

Božinović underscored that the Mediterranean, along with California, is one of the world's two biggest hotspots when it comes to global warming.

Speaking about the wildfires that hit the Šibenik area on Wednesday, Božinović said that forces in the Šibenik and Vodice hinterland gradually increased, depending on how the situation developed, primarily due to unexpected changes in wind directions.

The minister specified that a total of 350 firefighters were engaged on Wednesday, mostly from Šibenik-Knin County, and half of them from six other counties, as well as 50 members of the Croatian Army and 75 police officers.

Asked how many fire-fighting aircraft Croatia has at its disposal, Božinović replied that there are currently four Canadair planes and three air-tractors available.

"By 23 July, we will have one more air-tractor, and by 30 July, one more air-tractor and one Canadair aircraft." This means that as of 1 August, Croatia should have five Canadairs and five air-tractors at its disposal. Another Canadair, which is being overhauled, should be ready by the end of the year,'' he specified.

Božinović on EPPO action: I encourage the institutions to protect the interests of Croatia and the EU

Asked to comment on the latest action by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) and the PNUSKOK - police anti-corruption office regarding alleged bribes and the rigging of the tender process for the extension and reconstruction of the wastewater treatment plant in Varaždin, Božinović said that all institutions have a free hand in enforcing the law.

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ZAGREB, 19 Aug, 2021 - Chief firefighting commander Slavko Tucaković informed the government on Thursday that in the first eight months of 2021, 2,389 fires had occurred in areas of combustible vegetation, or 8% less than the five-year average, however in the last eight weeks, the number of wildfires has risen by 25%.

The area covered by blazes in the first eight months has been 12,207 hectares, or 54% less than the five-year average.

However, extreme weather conditions have fuelled wildfires in the last eight weeks, and as a result the area consumed by those fires has increased by 385%.

The highest number of blazes in rural areas has been registered in Šibenik-Knin County, seven to date.

The biggest wildfire this years has been in the Split hinterland, when it burnt an area 1,643 hectares large near the village of Seget Gornji.

Lion's share of wildfires put out within four hours

Tucaković said that as many as 87% of wildfires in the Croatian coastal area had been extinguished within four hours, which could be interpreted as evidence of the good engagement of firefighting services.

Interior Minister Davor Božinović said that firefighters' interventions in the coastal and Karst regions lasted 2.23 hours on average this year, while in 2020 this average was 3.37 hours.

Croatia's firefighting planes have been deployed abroad to put out fires six times so far this year: once in Greece and once in Turkey and four times in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The allocated funds in the state budget for firefighting services stand at HRK 104 million (€14 million) and so far this year 62 million kuna (€8.3 million) has been disbursed, Defence Minister Mario Banožić said. 

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ZAGREB, 4 Aug, 2021 - President Zoran Milanović, accompanied by Chief Firefighting Commander Slavko Tucaković, visited on Wednesday by helicopter locations devastated by wildfires at Seget Gornji, inland from the southern coastal town of Trogir, the President's Office said in a press release.

Before visiting the fire sites, Milanović discussed the situation at wildfire locations at Seget Gornji and in Mirlović in Šibenik-Knin County with local firefighting officials.

Firefighting representatives briefed the president about the efforts firefighters had made so far, and the assistance provided by the Croatian Army.

The president thanked the firemen and all those who helped put out the wildfires.

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Updated article on the morning of August 3.

August 2, 2021 - A fire in Seget Gornji, in the hills of Trogir, broke out in the morning. Although the houses in the neighborhood are not in danger, the smoke is affecting the air traffic of the Split airport.

A large fire in Seget Gornji broke out around 10.30 am, reports 24sata. It blazed along the road. As we find out, the fire is spreading carried by the wind, but the houses are not endangered for now. All available forces from the fire brigades from Solin, Vranjica, Kaštela, Trogir and Seget Vranjica are on the ground. Police regulate traffic on DC 58 and drive alternately in one lane so that firefighters can use the other lane unhindered. The Split-Dalmatia Police Department appeals to drivers to be careful. Two canadairs are helping the firefighters in the field, and two 'air tractors' are expected to arrive at any moment.

''There are over 100 firefighters and 25 vehicles on the field, and help to firefighters on the field is still arriving. Two canadairs are also helping with the extinguishing. Maquis and low vegetation are burning, and the fire is spreading in the southeast direction'', the county fire commander, Ivan Kovačević, told 24sata.

(Photo: 24sata reader)

As we have learned from Pero Bilas, the assistant director of Split Airport, due to the fire near the airport, several planes were sent to alternative runways, points out Dalmatinski Portal. Resnik, says Bilas, was not closed, but there was a disturbance in air traffic. Despite the efforts of all fire brigade units present in the area to control the fire, the smoke continues to be a problem.

''There will be a delay in landing and then taking off. The planes take off from the Split airport'', says Bilas.

Canadairs are constantly flying over because it is the shortest way to the fire.

More will follow...

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July 10, 2021 - During the season, 500 fire watchers and 96 cameras will try to spot fires in Croatia as they arise in order to put them out as soon as possible. And Croatian Forests is investing additional funds in fire prevention and public education.

One of the main threats during the summer season are the fires in Croatia that occur mainly in Dalmatia and its islands, but as reported by HRT Vijesti, 500 observers and 96 cameras will be the main resources to prevent them from spreading and can be put out as soon as possible.

Mr. Ante Vedrić works as an observer of Croatian forests on a fourteen-meter observation post next to the Musapstan Forest Park in the suburbs of Zadar. During the fire season, the forest is monitored from June 1 to September 30 in shifts from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. The cameras are also on for 24 hours.

''The observer immediately reports to the fire center, the cameras record it and then they list the firefighters and our observers have a work diary and they record it every beginning of the fire, the end of the fire if the Canadian drops water bombs and we count it'', said Croatian Forest Observer Ante Vedrić .

However, fire prevention begins even before the season, so the Zadar foresters in Žmirići in the Nin-Kožino economic unit performed fire-fighting forest clearing.

''On fire prevention, we primarily work on pruning the lower branches, removing dry branches in the immediate vicinity of roads, cleaning belts, grinding small mass and thus reduce the possibility of forest fires and spread'', said Zadar Forestry Manager Mislav Maršić.

Last year, 200 square kilometers of forest were burned. The wood mass itself is worth ten million kuna, but the damage, due to the general useful functions of forests such as oxygen generation or reducing soil erosion, climbs up to one hundred million. That is why Hrvatske šume financed an additional four cameras this year, and a new tender for the provision of video surveillance services is being prepared.

''The four-year contract costs us about twenty million kuna, but that money is nothing because we heard what the damage is, what damage occurs when the forest burns so all the investments we have and that is from 75 to 100 million kuna as the average in the past four years are actually small investments considering how much fires in Croatia are prevented and how much forests are saved'', said the director of the Forestry Department of Croatian Forests Krešimir Žagar.

''Today we have 96 cameras in four counties: Dubrovnik-Neretva, Split-Dalmatia, Šibenik-Knin, and Zadar, where the cooperation of Croatian Forests with the fire brigades of the counties that Croatian Forests finances a certain part of the duty'', said the Chief Fire Chief of the Croatian Fire Brigade. community Slavko Tucakovic.

In Hrvatske šume, they claim that despite the new cameras, they will always need observers who earn four and a half thousand kunas a month. In addition, foresters will buy firefighters new special vehicles for forest fires because the age of their fleet is 23 years.

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