GOVT CRISIS COMMITTEE HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE

( Editorial: --> 2520 ) DUBROVNIK, 8 Aug (Hina) - At the moment, there are no large fires in Dubrovnik County which could threaten the residents or the continuation of the tourist season, said the Government Crisis Committee head Miljenko Bukovac at a press conference in Dubrovnik on Saturday. Dubrovnik County police superintendent Edvard Cengija told reporters that the fires on the Peljesac peninsula and the islands of Lastovo and Korcula were caused by lightning. The fire in the Konavle region was caused by sparks from electric transmission lines while the one in the area of Rijeka Dubrovacka was caused by a fire which spread from the neighbouring region of Herzegovina, Cengija said. Croatian Firefighters' Association President Franjo Greguric said that the damage caused by the fires in Dubrovnik County in the past three days was more serious than the damage caused by the Serbian- Montenegrin aggression. Fire-ravaged locations will remain under supervision, Greguric said stressing the need for preventive actions. (hina) rml 081259 MET aug 98