FIREFIGHTERS CHIEF VISITS BURNT AREAS OF BLATO ON KORCULA ISLAND

( Editorial: --> 2555 ) BLATO, Aug 8 (Hina) - Croatian Firefighters Association president Franjo Greguric on Saturday visited the fire ravaged parts of the Blato municipality, on the southern Adriatic island of Korcula. Fire crews have managed to control the blaze around the Grebena area, but fires are still burning 2.5km south-east of Blato, in the Njivice and Brscanovica area, Blato municipal head Branko Bacic told Greguric. Fighting the 2.5km-long front are members of volunteer fire brigades from Rijeka, Sisak, Stobrec, Vela Luka, Blato and Smokvica, civil defence units and one Canadair fire-fighting plane and 14 fire tankers. It estimated the fires have burnt about 800 hectares of land, containing mostly pine forest and olive groves. (Hina) mbr 081653 MET aug 98