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VOA: Albania's capacities for extinguishing fires are limited

Politiko 2024-07-19 20:01:48

VOA: Albania's capacities for extinguishing fires are limited

The fires in the forest surfaces for several weeks continue to burn hundreds of hectares of forests and pastures in a part of the territory of Albania. According to the National Agency of Civil Protection, the most affected areas so far are the Administrative Units of the Districts of Dibër, Gjirokastër, Vlorë and Shkodër.

For several weeks, numerous forces and vehicles of firefighting units, supported by army forces and two helicopters, have been fighting to extinguish the fires, which, in some cases, have even approached residential areas.

For the most part, the fires have been extinguished, but currently the situation is concentrated in the District of Dibra, where the temperatures of the last few days reached the maximum level, with 43 degrees, increasing the risk of new fire outbreaks.

The National Operational Center for Civil Emergencies announced today that 7 fires are active throughout the country. The situation is more problematic in the village of Pregj-Lure of the municipality of Dibër, where the helicopter of the Armed Forces has joined the operation to prevent the spread of flames in the direction of the village.

In the municipality of Pukë, there were two new outbreaks of fire today, in the village of Rras and another in the village of Kuzhnen, while in the municipality of Fushë-Arrës, the firefighting forces were involved in extinguishing a fire outbreak in the village of Sakat. Fires were also recorded today in the municipality of Kolonja, that of Gjirokastra and Tepelena.

The fires that appeared in the last three weeks, in forest areas, presented difficulties in extinguishing them, so on July 13, Albania requested the activation of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, which sent two firefighting planes to fight the fires, mainly in Gjirokastra area.

Albania has about 36 percent of its territory with forests and pastures, and the climate changes of recent years have increased the risk of forest fires. Every year, more than 200 fires are recorded in forests and pastures, causing considerable damage to the country's economy and natural environment.

Albania's capacities for extinguishing fires in forest areas, especially in deep mountainous areas, are limited. The fire service has only 147 firefighting vehicles, most of them outdated, and about 1,300 employees, but no firefighting aircraft. VOA

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