HELLISH NIGHT: Wind created a ring of fire around firefighters, mines exploded

(Patria) - After an all-night battle with the flames descending from the Rujište pass towards Snježna kuća and weekend cottages, firefighters from Mostar, volunteers, hunters, the Mountain Rescue Service, DVD Rujište, and locals managed to localize the fire this morning.

This mountain excursion spot near Mostar has been left desolate, with several hundred houses and cottages that were defended. Through superhuman efforts, a catastrophe was prevented, but last night the wind further threatened to cause disaster.

Muamer Brekalo, one of the volunteers, says that over 100 people fought the fire and still fear, especially because they are worried about the forecast wind.

„Despite truly superhuman efforts by firefighters, volunteers, and mountaineers, the fire reached the road to Rujište. Two mines exploded, one of them near our first team. The detonation shook them slightly. 

A strong wind began to blow, suddenly changed direction, and threw the fire 150 meters behind us, thus encircling us. 

Only a narrow path remained for us to retreat. We all got out, thank God, and moved to the serpentines towards Rujište. According to information from teams at the top of Rujište, the fire also crossed to the other side of the road. The police are prohibiting passage to Potporim towards Rujište, where our second team is. 

We somehow got through the night, most people fell asleep. Now we will regroup and assess the actual situation on the ground,“ Brekalo said.

Mostar-based journalist Sanel Kajan commented on the "simple" procedure for extinguishing fires in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"When a fire breaks out, e.g., in Mostar, and helicopter assistance is needed for extinguishing, the fire department reports to civil protection. Civil protection reports to the City of Mostar. The City of Mostar reports to the cantonal civil protection. This reports to the cantonal government. From the canton, the call is forwarded to the level of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. From that level, the call goes further to the state. The state informs the Ministry of Security, which then reports to the Ministry of Defense, which decides whether to send helicopters.

By the time the procedure is completed, the wood, the earth, and the stone have all burned. The helicopter, 50 years old, briefly waters the scorched earth and returns to base. If it doesn't crash in the process, the operation is considered successful and is talked about for days by all levels of government, naturally highlighting their "immeasurable contribution"!

The fact that all countries in the region have long had Canadairs and air tractors, i.e., specialized firefighting aircraft, does not concern them. What matters is that they have the largest fleet of politicians in Europe," Kajan wrote on social media.