Wildfires flare up again in Slovenia: People getting evacuated, 1,000 firefighters putting out the flames

Photo: policija.si

After a brief lull during the night, a wildfire in Slovenia in the area of Kras has flared up again, and firefighters are currently extinguishing it at three separate locations.

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The evacuation of residents of three villages is underway, as the fire has spread to more than 2,000 hectares, representatives of Civil Protection announced, STA reports.

Firefighters have the hardest job near Klaric, a hamlet under the Kraski Rob faultline near the Italian border, where more than 1,000 of them are trying to put out the fire the regional Civil Protection headquarters announced, according to the Slovenian agency.

They are assisted by army helicopters as well as Pilatus transport planes and three helicopters from Austria, Slovakia and Croatia.

The army also provided a medical unit and meals for the firefighters, and police officers are meanwhile working to evacuate endangered villagers from Temnica, Vojscica and Novel.

Ambulance crews from Nova Gorica are also on high alert.

The fire also sets off unexploded ordnance left over in that area during the First World War.

Darko Zonjic from the National Unit for Protection against Unexploded Ordnance told STA that people on the ground have "stopped counting explosions."

Only explosions near roads are recorded, and the locations will be inspected later.

18 pieces explosive devices have been removed from the villages of Selo na Krasu and Korita yesterday, and two more today, Zonjic said, reports STA.

(Telegraf.rs)