2007 Croatian coast fires - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The 2007 Croatian coast fires were a series of fires that struck the Croatia

Croatia

Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...

n coast in the summer of 2007. After a heat wave, which covered the entire Southern

Southern Europe

The term Southern Europe, at its most general definition, is used to mean "all countries in the south of Europe". However, the concept, at different times, has had different meanings, providing additional political, linguistic and cultural context to the definition in addition to the typical...

and Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...

, the drought and southern wind helped spread the fires all over the Croatian coast, destroying a large part of the fragile plant and animal life.

There were 750 fires on the coast from June 1 to August 8. They burned in the Istria County

Istria County

Istria County is the westernmost county of Croatia which includes the biggest part of the Istrian peninsula . The area of the county is called Istra in Croatian and Slovene...

, the Zadar County

Zadar County

Zadar County is a county in Croatia, it encompasses northern Dalmatia and southeastern Lika. Its center is the city of Zadar.- Population :According to the 2001 census, Zadar County has population of 162,045...

, the Šibenik-Knin County

Šibenik-Knin County

Šibenik-Knin County is a county in Croatia, located in north-central Dalmatia. Its center is Šibenik; other notable towns are Knin, Drniš and Skradin....

, the Split-Dalmatia County

Split-Dalmatia County

Split-Dalmatia County is the central-southern Dalmatian county in Croatia. The administrative center is Split. The population of the county is 455,242...

and the Dubrovnik-Neretva County

Dubrovnik-Neretva County

The Dubrovnik–Neretva County is the southernmost Croatian county located in south Dalmatia. The county seat is Dubrovnik and other large towns are Korčula, Metković, Opuzen and Ploče...

. The total burned area covered 159,000 hectare

Hectare

The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...

s.

The police indicted 18 persons and arrested 12 persons for arson

Arson

Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...

. Those arrested included an unnamed 56-year-old suspected of setting seven fires and some shepherds who burned grass for sheep. When fires broke out in the region of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...

, the local authorities accused the Bosnian

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...

town of Trebinje

Trebinje

Trebinje is the southernmost municipality and town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is administratively part of the Republika Srpska entity and is located in southeastern Herzegovina, some from the Adriatic Sea....

of deliberately setting fires.

Fires in Istria

On July 19, a fire broke out near Pula

Pula

Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...

. It caused the Pula-Premantura

Premantura

Premantura is a town in Istria , Croatia....

county road to be closed in the section from the Banjole

Banjole

Banjole is a coastal village in southern Istria in Croatia, 6 km southeast of Pula, located in the Medulin municipality. Banjole is a fishermen's village with a naturally protected harbour.According to the 2011 census Banjole have a population of 979....

crossroads to Premantura, reported the Croatian Automobile Club.

On July 27, ten new fires broke out in the Istria

Istria

Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...

n region. Two large fires - near the Pineta Trailer Park in Peroj

Peroj

Peroj is a village in the Vodnjan municipality on the south-western coast of Istria, currently inhabited by ~400 inhabitants, dating back to the Copper age of prehistory, as testified by a necropolis within the old walls of the town. The town has been settled with families from a variety of origins...

near Pula

Pula

and near the Amarin Trailer Park in Rovinj

Rovinj

Rovinj is a city in Croatia situated on the north Adriatic Sea with a population of 13,562 . It is located on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula and is a popular tourist resort and an active fishing port...

- were soon localized.

On August 7, there was a fire between Batvači, Peroj and Barbariga

Barbariga, Croatia

Barbariga is a tourist village on the south-western coast of Istria, Croatia, on the Barbariga peninsula or Punta Cissana . It is located 22 km northwest of Pula, northwest of Fažana and Vodnjan and southwest of Bale. Chief occupations include farming , fishing and tourism...

, in the municipality of Vodnjan

Vodnjan

-Geography:Vodnjan is situated 10 km north of Pula, on elevation of 135 m. It is located at the intersection of the main road Buje - Pula and the regional road Vodnjan - Fažana, as well as on the railroad Divača - Pula.-Demographics:...

. It was localized around 7:30 PM by a Canadair CL-415

Canadair CL-415

The Bombardier 415 is a Canadian amphibious aircraft purpose-built as a water bomber. It is an aircraft designed and built specifically for aerial firefighting and is based on the company's CL-215 flying boat...

airplane and a helicopter that started extinguishing the fire around 6 PM. The fire, which was spreading because of the wind and the unapproachable terrain, was extinguished by 90 firefighter

Firefighter

Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...

s and 22 fire engines

Fire apparatus

A fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting fires by transporting firefighters to the scene and providing them with access to the fire, along with water or other equipment...

. The fire burned 80 hectare

Hectare

s of forests and brush.

Fires in Dalmatia

There were several fires in Dalmatia

Dalmatia

Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....

in July and August. The first fire broke out in the afternoon of July 26, on Veliki Rujan, which is right next to the Paklenica

Paklenica

The Paklenica karst river canyon is a national park in Croatia. It is located in Starigrad, northern Dalmatia, at the southern slopes of Velebit mountain, not far from Zadar. It has two canyons: Mala and Velika Paklenica. Today there is no water flowing throughout Mala Paklenica...

National Park. The most endangered area was the southeast part of the National Park. The fire was fought by more than 200 firemen, National Park employees and members of the Croatian Ground Army

Croatian ground army

The Croatian Army is a branch of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia.The fundamental role and purpose of the Croatian Army is to protect vital national interests of the Republic of Croatia and defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state.Basic tasks of the Croatian Army...

. The firemen received reinforcements during the next days. There were also two firefighting planes

Aerial firefighting

Aerial firefighting is the use of aircraft and other aerial resources to combat wildfires. The types of aircraft used include fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Smokejumpers and rappellers are also classified as aerial firefighters, delivered to the fire by parachute from a variety of fixed-wing...

and a helicopter. A fire broke out on the Svilaj

Svilaj

Svilaj is a settlement in the Croatian municipality of Oprisavci . According to the 2001 census, the settlement has 290 inhabitants. Svilaj's importance lies in the planned border checkpoint and a bridge over the nearby Sava River, which will bear the internationally important freeway Pan-European...

Mountain, but it was soon localized.

The fire near Podstražje, a village by the Rukavac Cove on the island of Vis

Vis (island)

Vis is the most outerly lying larger Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, and is part of the Central Dalmatian group of islands, with an area of 90.26 km² and a population of 3,617 . Of all the inhabited Croatian islands, it is the farthest from the coast...

, was localized on August 7 by the professionals and volunteers from Vis and Komiža, with 46 firemen and 9 fire engines. The August fire near Vrana Lake was soon localized.

On August 8, a fire broke out around Žitnić, spreading to the mined

Minefields in Croatia

Minefields in Croatia can still be found along the former front lines of the Croatian War of Independence. During the 1991-1995 war, up to two million land mines were laid by both sides in the conflict...

area along the Šibenik

Šibenik

Šibenik is a historic town in Croatia, with population of 51,553 . It is located in central Dalmatia where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea...

-Drniš

Drniš

Drniš is a town in Croatia, located in inland Dalmatia at halfway between Šibenik and Knin. Its municipality population is 8,595 , with 3,332 in the town itself and the rest in two dozen surrounding villages...

state road, which was closed for traffic. It was fought by professionals and volunteers from Drniš: 21 firemen and 6 fire engines.

Kornati tragedy

On August 30, a new fire broke out on the island of Kornat

Kornat (island)

Kornat is an island in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea, in central Dalmatia. With an area of 32.44 km² it is the 16th largest island in Croatia and the largest island in the eponymous Kornati islands archipelago...

, part of the Kornati

Kornati

The Kornati archipelago in Croatia is located in the northern part of Dalmatia, west from Šibenik, in the Šibenik-Knin county. With 35 km in length and 140 islands, some large, some small, in a sea area of about 320 km², Kornati are the densest archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea...

National park. A team of 23 firemen was sent on an Mi-8

Mil Mi-8

The Mil Mi-8 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship. The Mi-8 is the world's most-produced helicopter, and is used by over 50 countries. Russia is the largest operator of the Mi-8/Mi-17 helicopter....

helicopter on what they thought would be just a routine mission. Upon arrival, they split into two teams, one with 6 firemen and the other with 17. The latter split up one more time when three firemen lost their communication gear and again when the fourth one went checking for the signal, while trying to call his superiors. The remaining 13 were stranded between two hills with no water whatsoever, since the large water canister landed 500 meters away from them. While searching for it, they got encircled by a firewall

Firewall (computing)

A firewall is a device or set of devices designed to permit or deny network transmissions based upon a set of rules and is frequently used to protect networks from unauthorized access while permitting legitimate communications to pass....

. Although the burning grass was only 10 cm tall, the firemen didn't have the necessary equipment and had nowhere to run. In only a minute, six of them were killed instantly, while the other seven remained lying on the ground, badly burned, waiting for help more than two hours. After the rescue, they were sent to the hospital in Zadar

Zadar

Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...

and then transferred to hospitals in Zagreb

Zagreb

Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...

and Split

Split (city)

Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...

. Six of them died in hospital because of serious burns

Burn (injury)

A burn is a type of injury to flesh caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, light, radiation or friction. Most burns affect only the skin . Rarely, deeper tissues, such as muscle, bone, and blood vessels can also be injured...

covering large areas of their bodies. The fire itself had nowhere to spread, and was soon naturally extinguished, bringing up many questions about the necessity of the intervention. Allegedly, the firemen were killed by an unexploded CBU-87 dumped over Kornat island by NATO planes returning from the Kosovo war

Kosovo War

The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...

in 1999.

Fires around Dubrovnik

On August 5, several fires broke out in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County

Dubrovnik-Neretva County

The Dubrovnik–Neretva County is the southernmost Croatian county located in south Dalmatia. The county seat is Dubrovnik and other large towns are Korčula, Metković, Opuzen and Ploče...

. At 10 PM, the sirens sounded the general alarm because the fire came close to the city of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

itself. The mayor Dubravka Šuica

Dubravka Šuica

Dubravka Šuica is a Croatian politician, member of the centre-right Croatian Democratic Union and member of parliament. She served two consecutive terms as mayor of Dubrovnik between 2001 and 2009....

called all the able men to help the firemen. A shelter for women, children and old people was made in the Revelin Fortress. The firemen from the Split-Dalmatia County

Split-Dalmatia County

Split-Dalmatia County is the central-southern Dalmatian county in Croatia. The administrative center is Split. The population of the county is 455,242...

and the Šibenik-Knin County

Šibenik-Knin County

Šibenik-Knin County is a county in Croatia, located in north-central Dalmatia. Its center is Šibenik; other notable towns are Knin, Drniš and Skradin....

helped fight the fire. At one time, the fire crossed Žarkovica, a couple of hundred meters from the first city houses. On the other side, the fire reached Komolac and endangered the main power station. The state road was closed in the section from Konavle

Konavle

Konavle is a small region and municipality located southeast of Dubrovnik, Croatia.It is administratively part of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County and forms a municipality with its center at Gruda with a total population of 8,250 people split in 32 villages, in which 96.5% are Croats...

to Zaton

Zaton

Zaton can refer to:* Zaton, Dubrovnik-Neretva County, a village located northwest of Dubrovnik, Croatia* Zaton, Šibenik-Knin County, a village located northeast of Vodice, Croatia* Zaton, Zadar County, a village located south of Nin, Croatia...

, so the drivers there had to spend the night waiting on the road. The most desperate situation was around Mokošica, where the 20-kilometer fire came down to the houses, burning one house in Šumet.

On August 8, a forest fire broke out in the municipality of Konavle

Konavle

. It was fought by the county firemen and the state intervention forces of Dubrovnik, with 50 firemen and 15 fire engines. They were helped by three Canadair CL-415

Canadair CL-415

airplanes and an Air Tractor

Air Tractor

Air Tractor Inc. is a United States aircraft manufacturer based in Olney, Texas. Leland Snow founded the company in 1978 in order to manufacture a new agricultural aircraft derived from the S-2B aircraft . Designated Model AT-300 Air Tractor, the new aircraft first flew in 1973...

. Firefighting was made more difficult by the strong wind and drought. Some tourists were evacuated from local hotels.

The fires near Dubrovnik were well-publicized by international media.

International accusations of arson

On August 6 and August 7, the Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader

Ivo Sanader

Ivo Sanader |Split]]) is a Croatian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Croatia from 2003 to 2009.Sanader obtained his education in comparative literature in Austria, where he also later worked in the 1980s. He worked as a journalist, in marketing, publishing and also as a private...

visited Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

, which was followed by fires in that area. It prompted some county officials to make arson

Arson

Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...

accusations against the nearby town of Trebinje

Trebinje

in the neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina

. Mario Magud, the firefighting commander in Konavle, said: There are no firemen on the Trebinje side. Everything indicates that they set the fire themselves with the intention to burn Konavle and beyond. It's not a coincidence that, as soon as we localize one fire, a new fire breaks out.. Luka Korda, the chief of Konavle municipality, made similar accusations. The Bosnian civil defense secretary Stanko Slišković said it was not true that the Bosnian firemen did not do anything to prevent fires in the border area near Dubrovnik: Our people made the greatest effort to fight every fire where it was possible. Nobody can say with certainty where a fire started... I'm sorry this happened and I understand the indignation of the citizens of Dubrovnik, but it's not our fault. He claimed that the Bosnian civil defense cooperated well with their Croatian counterparts and said that the Bosnian forces could not fight the fires in the inaccessible or mined

Minefields in Croatia

areas.

External links

TotalPortal.hr – 600 fires in Croatia in 20 days
TotalPortal.hr New fires in Dalmatia
Nacional.hr – Fires still raging
http://dnevnik.hr/bin/article.php?article_id=21961Dnevnik.hr – A couple of suspects for the Šolta
Šolta
Šolta is an island in Croatia. It is situated in the Adriatic Sea in the central Dalmatian archipelago, west of the island of Brač, south of Split and east of the Drvenik islands . Its area is 58.98 km2 and it has a population of 1,675 .The highest peak of Šolta is the summit Vela Straža...

fire]
Večernji list – Fires near Makarska, Dubrovnik, Kašteli and Krka National Park

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