FIRE ON KORCULA ISLAND STILL ACTIVE; SETTLEMENTS NOT IN DANGER

( Editorial: --> 3462 ) ZAGREB, 13 Aug (Hina) - The fire on the island of Korcula is still active, according to a Government Crisis Committee report at 11am Thursday. The hills of Someni and Mihajla south-east of the settlement of Smokvica, and a dense forest in the Gradina area as well as Velo hill are on fire. The fire has come to 100m from the first houses in Care and Smokvica settlements. Planes for fire-fighting, machines and fire vehicles are used in battling the fire. Reserve defence lines have been set in case the fire spreads. Constant changes in the strength and direction of the wind are hampering efforts to put out the fire. Settlements are in no danger, the Crisis Committee said. The fire on Lastovo island has been contained and there are no active fire scenes. The fire in the area of Libinjska Kosa, on Mt Velebit, is still active. Zadar police fire units, special police and members of the national park Paklenica are putting out the fire. The fires in the area of Miljevacki plato and Svilaja in Sibenik County are still active. Both fires broke out in mined areas. The fire in the area of Plano-Maljkovici-Kriznjak in Split County has been contained in the early morning hours. The fire has ravaged about 100 hectares of grass, conifers and deciduous forest. The fires on St Elias hill overlooking Orebic on the Peljesac peninsula and in the area of Snjeznica are under control. Another fire broke out last night between Aleksinica and Donja Pazarista on the land owned by the Croatian Forests, in Lika-Senj County. Between six and seven hectares of vegetation have been consumed by the fire. The fire is under control but it still has not been extinguished because it broke out on an inaccessible location, which hampers the efforts to put it out, a local fire brigade commander said. (hina) rml 131245 MET aug 98