Firefighters, army battle wildfires threatening homes at Croatia coast

Firefighters, army battle wildfires threatening homes at Croatia coast

Firefighters and Croatian army forces on Saturday joined a battle against wildfires threatening homes and wind power plants near the coastal Adriatic town of Sibenik, state news agency Hina reported, Reuters reports.

About 200 firefighters and 50 soldiers were deployed in the area south of Sibenik in the evening as the wind picked up strength and after firefighting aircraft that were deployed during the day had to withdraw for the night.

Nobody has been hurt in the fires but people from about 30 houses in one village have been evacuated, portal dnevnik.hr reported.

A wide area of pine forests has been burned, officials said, noting that the fires have erupted at the peak of the tourist season at Croatia’s famous Adriatic coast.

Power has been switched off as a precautionary measure, dnevnik.hr said.