Firefighters battle blaze near Croatia’s Dubrovnik

ZAGREB – Dozens of firefighters battled a wildfire near Croatia’s picturesque southern city of Dubrovnik, the authorities said on Wednesday, with water-bombing planes dispatched to help contain the blaze.

The incident comes as deadly fires have ravaged swathes of the Mediterranean region in recent days, including several wildfires in neighbouring Greece and across the Adriatic in Italy.

The fire near Dubrovnik was reportedly some 12km from the famed mediaeval city in the Zupa Dubrovacka municipality. It broke out late on Monday but had not triggered any evacuations of the nearby population, according to the firefighters association.

Around 130 firefighters were working to contain the flames that had been spread by strong winds on Tuesday. Local media reported that the fire also triggered landmines to explode in the area.

During the bloody break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Dubrovnik was besieged and shelled by Serb forces, leading several areas in the city to be damaged, while swathes of its outskirts are still contaminated by landmines.

The Unesco-protected city dates back to the 7th century and features a maze of churches, palaces and fountains perched above the shimmering Adriatic.

Dubrovnik has long been a hub for tourism and a cruise ship magnet. It also gained notoriety in recent years after portions of the hit HBO series Game Of Thrones were filmed in the mediaeval walled city. Known as the Pearl of the Adriatic, the city attracts more than a million tourists annually.

The storm in the Balkans comes as swathes of Europe have sweltered in a heatwave trailed by wildfires and health warnings, while stretches of Asia and the United States also suffered under extreme weather.

Last week, at least five people were killed after violent thunderstorms swept across Bosnia, Croatia and Slovenia following days of scorching temperatures in the Balkans. AFP