Featured image: Illustration wildfire near Dubrovnik/CU
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.
