Ministry of Interior Montenegro announced that it was because of many fire and the police on the ground, that police drones and all available capacities were engaged and the formation of operational headquarters with protection and rescue services was ordered.
According to the media, the most critical situation in Montenegro is in the area of Herceg Novi, above the towns of Bijela and Baošići, as well as near Ulcinj (locality Gač), while fires are also active in the municipalities of Kolašin, Cetinje and Bar.
Fire crews, the military and local residents battle the blaze around the clock, which is made difficult by inaccessible terrain and strong, variable winds.
Near Herceg Novi - Bijela and Baošići, the fire that broke out on the hill above Žager spread along the transmission line and landed near houses and a church. For safety reasons, a preventive evacuation of around 30 residents was carried out. The settlements of Bijela and Baošići are occasionally without electricity and water because the local transmission line is disconnected. A crisis headquarters was formed in Bijela.
In the town of Todorovići, the fire flared up again and residential buildings were directly threatened. Firefighters from Nikšić and local volunteers are on duty on the field.
Help to colleagues from Herceg Novi
Near Ulcinj - Gac near Vladimir, the fire is spreading rapidly, carried by strong wind, endangering olive groves and surrounding buildings
Low vegetation and forests are burning on inaccessible terrain in the vicinity of Bar, Cetinje and Kolašin, where the air force is also engaged.
Firefighters from Herceg Novi were helped by colleagues from almost all coastal and central municipalities: Kotor, Tivat, Bar, Budva, Nikšić, Cetinje, Danilovgrad, as well as volunteer fire brigades.
Due to the severity of the situation on the coast, firefighters from Trebinje (Bosnia and Herzegovina) joined the extinguishing. The fire is extinguished from the air by helicopters of the Army of Montenegro and planes of the Directorate for Protection and Rescue of the MUP (Air Tractor AT-802 and Antonov AN-32P).
The competent services are successfully defending all residential buildings and houses there for now, the media say.
Formation of operational headquarters in all municipalities
In the statement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it is written that "taking into account unfavorable weather conditions, extremely high temperatures and a prolonged dry period, as well as the occurrence of fires in several locations, the officers of the Police Administration are taking all necessary measures and actions to determine the cause of the fires that have been active during the last two days in the territory of several municipalities and regions throughout Montenegro, as well as actively providing support to local self-government services".
The Director of the Police Administration ordered the formation of operational staffs in all municipalities and making the full capacities of the police available to the competent services.
Activities will also be carried out through aerial surveillance using drones, "with a special focus on the timely detection of active fires, the identification of their sources and the collection of data important for determining the circumstances of the fire, as well as the identification of persons who are possibly responsible for causing them", the Ministry stated.
The police department warns citizens that throwing cigarette butts from moving vehicles, lighting fires, torches or using other potential fire initiators pose a serious threat to the safety of people, property and the environment and can lead to large-scale fires.
Source: Beta
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