By DARKO BANDIC and KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES
ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Balkan countries on Wednesday battled wildfires stoked by high temperatures, winds and a weeks-long drought with firefighters in Croatia saying the toughest day so far this season was behind them as North Macedonia’s emergency chief suggest the country should seek assistance from NATO.
Croatia’s Firefighters’ Association described the past 24 hours as the most demanding this summer with more than 100 interventions that involved over 1,000 firefighters and 20 firefighting planes.
Meanwhile in North Macedonia, the last 24 hours saw a total of 66 wildfires erupting, authorities there said Wednesday, prompting calls for assistance from the international community.
The most serious incident in Croatia overnight was near the small town of Tucepi, along the country’s southern coast, where one firefighter was injured. A strong wind that blew throughout the night made it harder to combat the raging blaze stretching for several kilometers.
Croatian state broadcaster HRT said residents in the area went through a sleepless night, some had to evacuate their homes while power supplies were cut and several explosions could be heard, apparently from gas canisters. Photos from the scene showed a blazing skyline and firefighting planes flying over.
Local official Ante Cobanic said he tried to help extinguish a small fire before it suddenly spread in the space of five minutes. “The speed was incredible,” he said.
The fire was under control by mid-morning Wednesday with all emergency forces still on alert.
Further north, near the town of Sibenik, firefighters struggled to prevent the blaze from reaching Krka National Park, a major tourist destination and a nature reserve known for its stunning waterfalls. The park remained open for visitors on Wednesday and thanked firefighters and residents for helping defend it.
Successive heat waves have helped trigger fires across the Balkan region and elsewhere in southern Europe at the height of summer tourism season. Countries like North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Albania have all sought help from abroad.
North Macedonia’s emergency center chief Stojanche Angelov said that if the situation worsens further the government should ask NATO to help after it sought European Union assistance on Tuesday.
“At this moment there is no need, but the assistance might be needed later today,” Angelov said.
Large wildfires in parts of North Macedonia this week destroyed and damaged homes, forced evacuations and claimed the life of an elderly resident in a village some 60 kilometers (37 miles) east of the capital Skopje.
One blaze crossed into Greece where two air tankers and a helicopter helped the firefighters hold back the flames from reaching a forest on the Greek banks of Lake Doiran, which is shared by the two countries.
Experts say human-induced climate change has brought wild weather swings, increasingly unpredictable storms and heatwaves.
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Testorides reported from North Macedonia.
