Storm winds spread wildfire on island near Dubrovnik, ground water bombers
Strong Bura winds have fanned a forest fire on Jakljan island near Dubrovnik and stopped two Canadair aircraft from dropping water, a fire commander said.
A wildfire burning on Jakljan, one of the Elafiti Islands off Dubrovnik in southern Croatia, has spread because of strong Bura winds that are also stopping firefighting aircraft from dropping water on the blaze, county fire commander Stjepan Simović said on Wednesday.
Two Canadair water-bomber aircraft were sent to help fight the fire but could not take part because of powerful wind gusts, Simović said. "It's burning like it's August," he said, adding that it was being driven on by the Bura, and that 25 firefighters remained on the island overnight, backed by two firefighting boats.
The fire broke out on Tuesday afternoon on the south-western side of Jakljan, with the first report reaching the fire service at 13:53, Index.hr and Večernji list reported. Ten firefighters were sent out on the fire boat Orlando, and despite difficult terrain and poor conditions, crews managed to land and begin tackling the blaze. They brought it under control by the evening, only for it to flare up again about an hour after midnight as the Bura intensified.
Firefighters worked through the night on Jakljan to bring the fire back under control, and two Canadairs were called in again in the morning, though they were again unable to fly because of the wind, the outlets said. A shift change for the crews on the island was carried out successfully. No official estimate of the area burned, or a timeline for full containment, has yet been given.
Radio Sarajevo, citing Vеčernji list, headlined its report on the Jakljan fire as "another fire in Croatia," noting that the island blaze is not the only one the country has had to tackle this week.
What we know
- A wildfire on Jakljan island near Dubrovnik has spread because of strong Bura winds, county fire commander Stjepan Simović said.
- Two Canadair aircraft could not drop water on the fire because of powerful wind gusts.
- Twenty-five firefighters and two firefighting boats remained on the island overnight.
- The fire, which broke out on Tuesday afternoon, was brought under control once before flaring up again after midnight.
Why it matters for Europe
Firefighters had the blaze under control by Tuesday evening, only for the same strong Bura winds now grounding the Canadairs to reignite the fire again within hours, showing how quickly conditions can reverse containment efforts on Croatia's Adriatic islands. With water-bombing aircraft unable to fly, ground crews and firefighting boats are carrying the brunt of the work on Jakljan, and officials have not yet said when the blaze might be fully brought under control.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 2 countries.
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Questions and answers
- Where is the wildfire near Dubrovnik?
- It is burning on Jakljan, one of the Elafiti Islands off Dubrovnik in southern Croatia.
- Why can't firefighting aircraft help?
- Two Canadair water bombers were sent but could not drop water because of powerful Bura wind gusts, a county fire commander said.
- How many firefighters are tackling the blaze?
- Twenty-five firefighters, backed by two firefighting boats, stayed on the island overnight.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.