Firefighters spent the entire night saving houses on Pelješac

The firefighters on Pelješac have had yet another sleepless night, after a massive fire yesterday afternoon again moved towards the settlements in Ponikve, reports the Patria news agency.

-The situation is now good near Ponikve, it is burning above the town towards the hilltop, but since late last night no residential or commercial property has been threatened. Also, the St. Mark's chapel did not burn down, as was said last night while this area was under fire, said Goran Cvjetinović, spokesman for the County Civil Protection and Rescue Headquarters, for Index this morning.

-There are dozens of firefighters and air forces on the ground, and new firefighters from the continent have just arrived. In Kobaš, local volunteer fire departments stopped the spread of the fire during the night and are now extinguishing the edges of the fire site, and a water bomber is coming to help them. That part near Kobaš is a cove opposite Mljet - inaccessible and without any houses or cultivated land, says Cvjetinović, noting that the fire in Janjina is still active and they are extinguishing the edges of the fire site there. 

If the wind picks up in the afternoon, it could become dangerous again in Janjina, but firefighters hope to bring the fire under control before that.

-The firefighters did a Herculean job in Ponikve last night. They defended the houses in the hamlet of Šparagovići so there was no need for evacuation. The county fire chief Stjepan Simović injured his leg seven days ago, it is terribly swollen and the doctor ordered him to rest for two weeks, but he is not leaving the fire site, he is on duty there, describes Cvjetinović the atmosphere among the firefighters.

When it comes to the arrival of Russian air forces on Pelješac, Cvjetinović points out that, given the current situation on the ground, they are no longer needed, but if they had come earlier, everything would have been much easier.

-One of our water bombers can carry seven tons of water, and their water bomber can carry 42 tons in one flight. That is a huge difference, emphasizes Cvjetinović.