ZAGREB, July 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Dozens of firefighters battled a wildfire near Croatia’s picturesque southern city of Dubrovnik, authorities said Wednesday, with water-bombing planes dispatched to help contain the blaze.
The incident comes as deadly fires have ravaged swaths of the Mediterranean region in recent days, including several wildfires in neighbouring Greece and across the Adriatic in Italy.
The fire near Dubrovnik was reportedly some 12 kilometres from the famed medieaval city in the Zupa Dubrovacka municipality.
The blaze broke out late Monday but had not triggered any evacuations of the nearby population, according to the firefighters association.
Around 130 firefighters were working to contain the flames that had been spread by strong winds on Tuesday.
Local media reported the fire also triggered landmines to explode in the area.
During the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Dubrovnik was besieged and shelled by Serb forces, leading several areas in the city to be damaged while swaths of its outskirts are still contaminated by landmines.
The UNESCO-protected city dates back to the 7th century and features a maze of churches, palaces and fountains perched above the shimmering Adriatic.
Dubrovnik has long been a hub for tourism and a cruise ship magnet but also gained notoriety in recent years after portions of the hit HBO series “Game of Thrones” was filmed in the medieaval walled city.
Known as the Pearl of Adriatic, the city attracts more than a million tourists annually.
The storm in the Balkans comes as swaths of Europe have sweltered in a heatwave trailed by wildfires and health warnings, while stretches of Asia and the United States also suffered under extreme weather.
Last week, at least five people were killed after violent thunderstorms swept across Bosnia, Croatia and Slovenia following days of scorching temperatures in the Balkans. — NNN-AGENCIES
