DIVULJE, Aug 26 (Hina) - Croatia's Prime Minister Ivica Racan on Saturday made a helicopter tour of wildfire sites in southern Croatia where recent blazes endangered property, the lives of local residents and tourists, and caused
enormous damage. The prime minister was accompanied by Defence Minister Jozo Rados, Interior Minister Sime Lucin, and Tourism Minister Pave Zupan-Ruskovic. According to Racan, careful and precise investigations into the causes of the wildfires have shown there is no cause for alarmist reports on planted fires because, he said, the great majority of the wildfires has primarily been the result of the big heat and human carelessness. "There are deliberately caused fires too, but not as terrorist acts, but as a result of the illness of mentally-impaired persons," he said. The prime minister pointed out the Interior Ministry and the armed forces had made a huge contribution in fighti
DIVULJE, Aug 26 (Hina) - Croatia's Prime Minister Ivica Racan on
Saturday made a helicopter tour of wildfire sites in southern
Croatia where recent blazes endangered property, the lives of local
residents and tourists, and caused enormous damage.
The prime minister was accompanied by Defence Minister Jozo Rados,
Interior Minister Sime Lucin, and Tourism Minister Pave Zupan-
Ruskovic.
According to Racan, careful and precise investigations into the
causes of the wildfires have shown there is no cause for alarmist
reports on planted fires because, he said, the great majority of the
wildfires has primarily been the result of the big heat and human
carelessness.
"There are deliberately caused fires too, but not as terrorist
acts, but as a result of the illness of mentally-impaired persons,"
he said.
The prime minister pointed out the Interior Ministry and the armed
forces had made a huge contribution in fighting the blazes.
Racan added this year's season had taught us drastic lessons, and
assured that very soon, the government would start enforcing
stricter punishment measures and make much better preparations for
the next season. The most important thing at the moment is to
support the fire-fighters, he added.
According to the prime minister, carelessness has been the cause of
many wildfires. Firebreaks have not been cleared for a decade, he
reminded, adding the whole situation needed to be analysed and that
those not doing their job properly should be penalised. "Firebreaks
will also be made on the border with Bosnia-Herzegovina," he
announced.
He was glad the situation today was quite good despite large burned
areas, with the exception of Slano near Dubrovnik, where a wildfire
has spread from neighbouring BH.
Racan reminded blazes were burning along the entire Mediterranean,
which he said was why neither the French nor the Italians were able
to lend their canadair aircraft. Only two helicopters from Germany
have come and been extinguishing the flames since last night.
Croatian Army brigadier Niko Pudja informed the prime minister
1,138 soldiers were assisting fire-fighters in the Dalmatia
region, without logistics, and that reserve units were on the
alert.
The damage caused by wildfires in Dalmatia has been estimated at
over 150 million kuna (US$18.1 million). In the last two weeks,
canadair and helicopter crews have worked 1,200 hours.
(hina) ha