Wildfires continue in Bosnia

Sarajevo, July 12 (IANS) Wildfires in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina(BiH)'s Trebinje region have entered their sixth day, with flames still active in some mountainous areas and nearby villages, according to local authorities.

Local firefighting units, backed by helicopters from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska, one of the two entities of BiH, have managed to stabilise the situation, Xinhua news agency reported.

Officials confirmed that residential zones are currently not at risk, but warned that shifting winds could reignite the blaze.

Firefighting forces from neighboring cities, including Trebinje, Bileca, Nevesinje, and Herceg Novi remain deployed, alongside volunteers and local residents. The fire near the main road to Bileca has been largely contained.

More than 40 square km of land have been scorched, with significant ecological damage reported.

Milos Vucurevic, a local firefighting unit commander, said the situation is under control for now, but conditions could change rapidly due to wind.

The fire is burning near the village of Jasen, but there is no threat to lives or property till now.

Authorities are preparing for a larger operation to fully extinguish the remaining fire lines.

The heat wave gripping the Balkans is expected to ease in the coming days, meteorologists said last week, as authorities continue to battle wildfires across the region.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, temperatures were forecast to peak, complicating efforts to control a forest fire near residential areas in the southern city of Trebinje.

--IANS

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