TIRANA, Aug. 1 – A series of summer wildfires continues to rage across Albania as a heatwave hits the country with not rain in sight.
A massive wildfire was raging Wednesday in the Llogara Pass area near the Albanian Riviera with images going viral on social media as tourists in the coastline below witnessed the flames from afar. But the Vlora County fire was only one of many around the country.
Wildfires were also witnessed in Dibra, Elbasan, Berat and Tirana counties over the week. Most of these fires are hitting rural areas away from homes and people, with Berat the only location where homes were at risk, but were ultimately saved. All firefighters around the country are going on duty helped by military forces and helicopters.
Interior Minister Dritan Demiraj said that if the fires were found to be intentional they are a clear threat to national security and should be treated as such.
The General Directorate of Civil Emergencies, firefighters, state police, armed forces, municipalities and prefectures are working night and day to put the situation under control, according to a statement issued by the minister.
“We encourage all these structures fighting fires in every corner of the territory to save people and national property,” Demiraj said. “Intentional fires threaten national security.”
Meanwhile, Albania’s foreign ministry said it had officially requested help from Greece, a country with a long experience of fighting wildfires in the summer.
Two firefighting airplanes based in Corfu would be used to assist Albanian firefighters in the neighboring Vlora region, official said. The planes are needed because the fire in the Dukat area of Vlora is a rural spot and is hard for firefighters to reach via land.
