Featured image: Illustration wildfire near Dubrovnik/CU
Two wildfires have been burning near Dubrovnik on the Bosnia and Herzegovina side of the border, with Croatian firefighters closely monitoring the situation and intervening when necessary. The wildfire near Dubrovnik situation involves separate fires near Zubci and Ivanica, both close to Croatian territory.
Updated September 1: Border fire near Dubrovnik extinguished
The Duba Konavoska wildfire was extinguished on 1 September after burning 649 hectares since spreading into Croatia from Bosnia and Herzegovina on 21 August.
Updated August 27: One border fire remains active near Dubrovnik
One vegetation fire near Dubrovnik remains active after first being reported on the Bosnian side of the border on August 21. On August 26, 55 firefighters with 17 vehicles from several Dubrovnik-area fire units took part in the operation, with two Canadair CL-415 aircraft deployed to support crews on the ground.
The separate Ivanica fire, which crossed from Bosnia and Herzegovina into the Župa Dubrovačka area on August 22, was extinguished on August 25 at 7 pm.
Updated August 26: Fires near Dubrovnik continue to cross from Bosnia and Herzegovina
Wildfires that have been burning in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina for around ten days continue to occasionally cross into Croatian territory near Dubrovnik.
On August 24, Dubrovnik firefighters requested the deployment of three firefighting aircraft to assist with the fire near Duba Konavoska. The vegetation fire was first reported on August 21 at 6:15 pm while it was still burning on the Bosnian side of the border, with Croatian crews carrying out reconnaissance along the border area.
Firefighters and Canadairs deployed near Duba Konavoska
On August 25, a total of 38 firefighters with 10 vehicles took part in operations near Duba Konavoska. Crews included members of the Konavle and Dubrovnik public fire brigades, the Dubrovnik intervention unit, as well as the Čilipi and Župa Dubrovačka volunteer fire departments.
Two Canadair CL-415 firefighting aircraft were also deployed to help fight the wildfire near Dubrovnik, supporting crews on the ground.
Ivanica fire remains under control on the Croatian side
A separate wildfire near Dubrovnik, in the Bosnian village of Ivanica, is also still burning. The fire crossed into Croatia on August 22 and has affected grass, low vegetation and maquis.
Firefighters from the Dubrovnik intervention unit, Dubrovnik Public Fire Brigade and Župa Dubrovačka Volunteer Fire Department have been involved in the operation.
On the Croatian side, in the Župa Dubrovačka area, the fire remains under the control of firefighting crews.
Updated August 24: Ivanica wildfire crosses into Croatia
The wildfire near Ivanica, which has been burning for several days on the Bosnia and Herzegovina side of the border, crossed into Croatian territory on Sunday.
The fire affected grass, low vegetation and maquis. Dubrovnik firefighting units responded quickly and brought the blaze under control on the Croatian side of the border. Firefighters remain in the area and continue to monitor the situation.
Firefighters are also battling a wildfire in the Konavle area, near Duba Konavoska. Fire crews from the Konavle Public Fire Brigade and the Čilipi Volunteer Fire Department are on the ground, while two CL-415 firefighting aircraft and one AT-802, redirected from a firefighting reconnaissance mission, have been deployed from the air.
“The fire crossed into our territory from Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has a fairly large front, which is now in difficult-to-access terrain, away from the road. Air forces are working on the fire, while our firefighters are making their way towards the edge of the fire,” said Stjepan Simović, commander of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County Firefighting Association.
He stressed that populated areas are not currently under threat, the Croatian Firefighting Association (HVZ) reports.
Earlier report: Wildfire crosses into Croatia near Konavle, smoke spreads across Dubrovnik area
A large wildfire burning near Zubci in Bosnia and Herzegovina crossed the border into Croatia overnight, reaching the Konavle area south of Dubrovnik.
The wildfire near Dubrovnik is currently closest to Duba Konavoska but remains far from homes, Dubrovnik-Neretva County fire commander Stjepan Simović confirmed to Dubrovački dnevnik.
Smoke from the fire was also noticeable on Friday morning across parts of Konavle and Župa Dubrovačka.
Four-kilometre fire front near the border
The fire originally broke out near Zubci in the Trebinje area, along the route towards Herceg Novi. Although part of the blaze crossed into Croatia during the night, conditions on Friday morning were helping prevent it from advancing further into Konavle.
“It is far from houses. The fire crossed into Croatian territory last night. The wind is holding it in place this morning and has even pushed it back slightly. However, in Bosnia and Herzegovina the fire front is enormous, around four kilometres long,” Simović told Dubrovački dnevnik.
The terrain presents an additional challenge for firefighters because there are no roads allowing crews to reach the affected area directly.
Aircraft assessing difficult-to-reach fire
Firefighters have been considering aerial support because of the inaccessible terrain.
“There is no road up there, so we have no way to reach it. One Air Tractor should arrive around noon today, and we will decide on further steps depending on how the situation develops,” Simović told Dubrovački dnevnik.
Later on Friday, an Air Tractor flew over the fire area and an assessment was expected, DUList reports. Simović said that if aerial firefighting becomes necessary, the terrain is such that a Canadair may be the only aircraft able to operate effectively.
For now, the wind continues to favour the Croatian side, pushing the fire back towards Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The wildfire near Dubrovnik has also resulted in significant smoke in the wider area, with parts of Konavle and Župa Dubrovačka waking to thick smoke on Friday morning.
Another border wildfire near Dubrovnik
The Zubci fire is not the only wildfire near Dubrovnik that Croatian firefighters have been watching in recent days.
Firefighters in Bosnia and Herzegovina have also been battling a fire around Ivanica, a settlement immediately across the border above Župa Dubrovačka. The Croatian Firefighting Association reported two days ago that firefighters from Dubrovnik-Neretva County were actively monitoring the situation, with the county fire commander visiting Ivanica to assess the threat. Croatian crews were ready to respond if the situation required it.
The fire near Ivanica became active again around midday on Friday close to the Croatian border, above the Postranje area, DUList reports.
According to Simović, Croatian firefighters managed to push the fire away from Župa Dubrovačka and were working to secure the edges of the affected area. He said the operation was expected to continue for several more hours.
