Situations Alarmed by Fire in Albania

The country's capacity for coping with the situation is modest, Albanian authorities are in talks on coming EU aid.

For several days Albania has been involved in fires, almost all over its territory. According to official data from the Civil Emergency Agency, fires have spread from north to south, including forests, pastures and private property in 13 districts: Shkodra, Lezha, Puka, Elbasan, Fier, Skrapar, Durres, Tirana, Vlora, Gjirokastra, Permet and Saranda, where 9 fires are active.

The damage so far is huge. Fires triggered on Tuesday (03.08) another victim: Andrea Haxhiaj, 64, was found lifeless in the nearby garden by asphyxia in a village in the Lunsjèria Administrative Unit (the circus of Gjirokastra), from the asphyxia to try to quench the flames that had involved his vineyard. His wife is severely injured and is in hospital; an effect of the Armed Forces is also a civilian Emergency Committee. Hundreds of acres of forest, pasture, and thousands of olive roots have been destroyed in Vlora and Fier. Residents of 3 villages in the Drino River Valley in Gjirokastra have been evacuated by police and Army forces.

Pelesh: Serious Situation in Karaburun

Defence Minister Niko Peleshi, in a public statement, called the situation especially serious on the Karabun Peninsula, where the firefront has remained active for three days and “has taken dangerous proportions, assisted by the wind”, he stressed Tuesday.

Even in the mountains of the villages of Traja and Dukes, but in Vlora County, fire has not yet been brought under control. Over 500 military and fire departments are on the peninsula, and in these two villages, helicopters are also being used to extinguish the fires. But the situation has been brought under control in the pine forests of the National Accounting Park, and the arrival of the fire at the Pashalymann military base has been averted from the Civil Protection Agency. In the late hours of last evening, a large fire has swept through the forests of the Wilder People, in Puka.

Albania's capacity in ways to cope with such a blaze almost across its entire territory is modest. The involvement of the whole region by fires as a result of high endoric temperatures and early August adds to the arrival of support from neighbouring countries and partners.

Support From EU, US, Region

Official sources told DW that authorities in Albania have already talked about receiving support from the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, which strongly supported Albania in coping with summer fires 2017 with fire planes and satellite maps Koperniks, which help identify firearms and efficiency to extinguish them. President Meta appealed on Tuesday to authorities “to head towards this mechanism as soon as possible and to the country partner that could help”

According to sources from the Defence Ministry so far, talks have been held with Kosovo, Italy and Croatia governments for support by means depending on the development of their situations regarding the fires.

The U.S. Embassy of America,(SHBA) in Tirana, in a reaction to the social media to the serious situation by fires, notes that “The U.S. has been and will always stand beside Albania in times of need. Armed fire extinguishers are part of a $330,000 gift from the US Europine Command.”

Purposeful Fires, Arrested Firemen

The difficult situation, which has to deal with Albania, has not been caused only by temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit [40 ° C] in such widespread fires. Police in an official report suggested they arrested three people Tuesday in Vlora County and one in the Permet district suspected of firing. Z. The prime minister, Erion Braée in social media even calls all fires on Albania's territory, deliberate “and all their authors committed a crime and must answer before the law.” / DW/