a minute agoAlbania faces numerous fires, high temperatures
Periskopi(2 years ago)
(2 years ago)For more than two months, fires continue to burn in Albania with thousands of hectares of forests and pastures. Almost every day, the National Civil Protection Agency reports dozens of hot spots from north to south of the country. Only during Monday were 47 fires reported, of which it has become possible to [...]
The situation is more problematic in protected areas, where fires are rapidly continuing to spread. Thus, popular fires on the territory of northern Macedonia have also emerged in the interior of Albania's territory, Prespa National Park, on the Dry Mountain, where despite the intervention of local facilities, fire continues to be active due to difficult terrain.
Also in Tropoja, the village of Cherem, the fire station near the Alps National Park has spread, and the rugged terrain makes it difficult for specialised forces to extinguish forest fires. But fires have affected during the July month and the first days of August, as well as the National Lura Park in Debar, as well as Finic's archaeological park, while endangering a number of resorts on Stryjin's coastline.
During Monday, fires were reported in the forests of Tropoja, Bulqiza, Matti, Shkodra, Kurbin, Dropult, Finic and Selenica.
According to the Civil Emergency Operational Centre, two hot spots in the municipality of Tropoja are active in the forest areas of the Raja and Geghysen village, as well as in the village of Cheren. In the village of Trnova, the Bulqiza municipality continues to be active, despite numerous efforts by forces on the ground to bring it under control. In Matt's village of Selica fire is active in two hearths, and because of strong winds, the isolation of the fire has not yet been achieved. While in the village of Skoray, in Kurbin municipality, there is no open fire, but smoke follows as a result of burning humus under vegetation, jeopardising the reactivating of the flames.
Numerous fires continue for days to burn forest surfaces and to endanger populated areas even in the southern part of the country. At the site called Mount Puss in front of the village of Zhulat and the village of Soati, in the Dropul municipality, the situation is presented as difficult because of the terrain, where active fire has crossed into the pine crown. Even in the village of Kostar, in the municipality of Finic, as well as in the village of Meritray in Selenica, the fire continues to be active, but according to civil defence authorities, poses no threat to residences.
In Albania, fires on forest surfaces are annual, and authorities claim they are caused by high temperatures, but a considerable part also by the carelessness of local residents, as well as intentional fires. Only from 2009 to 2021 did INSTAT data burn in Albania some 230 thousand acres [230,000 ha] of forest and pasture - a damage that is consistent with the country's economy but also the natural environment.
In an effort to keep fire hearth under control are activated, in addition to the forces and fire tools, both police and military -- an additional cost, high enough for the Albanian government with a limited annual budget.
In the earlier operation, on August 11, 2024, 665 operational forces, 43 vehicles, 99 military troops, as well as Air Force helicopters were engaged.
Although fires continue for more than 30 years to damage the national wealth of forests, Albania continues to have little technical and human capacity for protecting forests from fires and intentional damage. The country has about 1300 workers and forest experts, about 140 fire vehicles, mostly old and inappropriate for extinguishing fires on forest surfaces, and no helicopter specialising for the extinguishing of air fires. / VOA
