Tragedy warned/ Albania burns, the state waits for rain

POLITICO.AL

Every summer, Albania faces the same scenario: forests and pastures turn to ash and smoke, while fires spread at an alarming speed.

And, like every year, our country seems to be caught off guard by an event that... is predictable. We're not dealing with surprises here.

However, preventive measures are lacking. There are no clear plans, no patrols in endangered areas, and not enough resources.

Our firefighters are fighting the flames like in the 80s, with exhausted equipment, while aerial vehicles are sometimes missing, sometimes they leave when half of the forest has been reduced to ashes.

The causes are known: from the carelessness of residents burning waste, to deliberate fires to clear territory. But what is still unknown is why a system of strong and exemplary punishments is never established. We almost never see severe punishments for arsonists.

Meanwhile, the damage is colossal: destroyed ecosystems, economic losses in agriculture and tourism, and climate damage that we don't feel immediately, but will follow us for decades.

Instead of investing in prevention, we continue to spend more on emergency and often delayed interventions.

This was also pointed out by Democratic Party MP Ina Zhupa, during a statement for Politiko.al, where she accused the government of mismanagement and a marked lack of institutional accountability.

She commented on the specific case in Delvina, where a large fire got out of control and aerial intervention was lacking for hours.

Zhupa said that every summer Albania faces hundreds of fires, which in many cases get out of control due to a lack of timely intervention and the right tools.

According to her, the biggest problem is not the fire itself, but the way institutions deal with this recurring emergency.

 Zhupa described mismanagement and incompetence as the main causes of the dramatic situations that repeat year after year.

Purchasing modern equipment, using drones for monitoring, awareness campaigns for citizens, and even severely punishing any arsonist are not new ideas, but they never become a real priority.

So, next summer will come, and with it, the flames. The state will pretend to be surprised.

The flames do not spare tourist areas, homes or even shelters.

After reaching alarming proportions, the fire in the tourist area of Syrit i Kaltër was extinguished on Monday evening. The situation was particularly worrying throughout the night in the village of Pecë, which is located very close to the area affected by the flames.

The fire services of Finiqi, Delvina and Saranda, together with the residents of the area, have worked non-stop to keep the spread of the fire under control.

To ensure the safety of residents, authorities have evacuated the residents of the village of Pecë. Meanwhile, on Tuesday morning, two helicopters were deployed to extinguish the remaining fires from the air.

During the last 24 hours, 50 outbreaks have been identified across the country, from north to south, of which 19 are still active.

A difficult situation is occurring in Polican, where the fire continues to be active outside the territory of the Mechanical Plant, approaching the city near the Elderly Home. The situation has worsened in the village of Plirëz, and residents are being evacuated. About 75 operational forces are operating at the scene, supported by the air with an Air Force helicopter. Residents in the village of Rehova have also been evacuated, after the fire approached the homes.

The flames are not yet under control in Rrogozija and Kavaja. Work is underway in the villages of Stërbeg and Spanesh. A plane is working from the air in Hajdraja, Kavaja.

Dozens of active fire outbreaks are also reported in the territory of the municipality of Tirana. Specifically in the mountain of Bërzhitë, the village of Ibë. There are also fires in the Administrative unit of Vaqarr. In the Zall Herr, homes are at risk.

The fire that broke out in the rugged terrain in the village of Xath in Fushë Arrëzit does not allow for intervention by ground forces.

In Tepelena, work continued throughout the night to extinguish the fire, which spread towards the villages of Lekel and Koder, where two stables were burned.

In the southeast, the fire that broke out on Monday near border pyramid no. 12, on the border with Greece, in the territory of the Municipality of Kolonjë, continues to be active. 40 forces are on the ground, ready to isolate the spread of the fire.

However, intervention in this area is difficult, as the territory lies in a border area with the presence of mines, and poses a risk to the troops. 

So far, the fire has not entered the Germenji Natural Park. Albanian authorities are in coordination with the Greek side.

Active fire outbreaks are also reported in other regions of the country, including Kukës, Lezhë, Durrës, and Elbasan. The flames are being fueled by high temperatures that are expected to reach up to 41 degrees.

In summary, this year's summer added to the flames of some of the most protected and visited areas of Albania — from Lura and Dukati in the north, to Finiq, Delvinë, and Saranda in the south./ NF