BLAZES CONTINUE ON ISLANDS OF KORCULA AND LASTOVO

( Editorial: --> 2651 ) ZAGREB, Aug 9 (Hina) - Fires were still continuing to burn on Croatia's southern Adriatic islands of Korcula and Blato on Sunday morning. Two blazes are still active on Korcula with fronts in the east near Minca and on the northern part of the island at Greben, near the small town of Blato. About 700 people are working in shifts to fight the fires, with 30 or so fire vehicles also involved. The burnt area is about 1,050ha of mostly pine forest, grassland and dense underbrush. On the smaller island of Lastovo, firefighters are operating between the settlements of Uble and Nizno Polje in an attempt to stop the fire spreading over local roads. About 300 people are currently engaged in operations with the help of 10 fire vehicles. The burnt area covers about 1,000ha of pine forest and dense underbrush, the Croatian Interior Ministry's Fire Operations centre said in a report on the fire situation as at 10.30am on Sunday. Fire-fighting forces from the air have been operating since early this morning in active fire areas on Korcula and Lastovo. In all about 1,300 people are involved in efforts to contain fires in Croatia's southern Dubrovnik-Neretva County, including professional and volunteer firefighters, members of specialist civil defence units, Croatian Army soldiers and local residents. (Hina) mbr 091226 MET aug 98