Hellish night for 200 firefighters: Pelješac and Korčula still burning

Fires on Korčula and Pelješac are still burning. Hundreds of firefighters and the army fought the blazing inferno all night, and open flames are still visible at several locations, reports the Patria news agency.

-The good news is that the fire is not spreading this morning; it is burning within the boundaries it reached yesterday. Firefighters are securing the edges of the fire site, and the water bomber has just returned, dousing the open flames with water bombs. This is very difficult terrain, and extinguishing will certainly take several more days, said Lenko Salečić, mayor of the municipality of Smokvica, for Index.

Both residents and firefighters hope that the fire will be brought under control during today or tomorrow.

-It is a huge area; according to our estimates, over 800 hectares have burned. The only bright spot in this sorrow that has befallen us is that no human life has been lost. But so many olive groves, vineyards, not to mention the forest, have burned, says Salečić.

-The firefighters have been on their feet for the third night in a row; they haven't slept since Saturday, and their relief has not yet arrived. The municipality and residents are stepping in to provide at least one hot meal, said the mayor of Smokvica, noting that a huge task still lies ahead of the firefighters.

-The fire is still burning in Ponikve, on inaccessible terrain in the hills, and open flames are still present on Korčula. The arrival of water bombers is expected soon, say officials from the county emergency center 112.

In the settlement of Pijavičino, where the fire dangerously approached houses during yesterday, there is no longer any open flame this morning. After the fire consumed power lines at several locations yesterday, parts of Trstenik and Pijavičino are still without electricity today.