Wildfires raise alarm

TIRANA, Aug 17 – Interior Minister Bujar Nishani on Wednesday called on all the authorities around the country to be totally committed to preventing further fires that have already damaged hundreds of hectares.
Nishani also called on police and prosecutors’ offices to probe the causes of the fires that often have been started on purpose by people wanting to create free space for their activities or other malicious goals. He also wanted an investigation for the lack of action of certain officials in cases of fires.
Up to ten people have been arrested in southern Gjirokastra district for willingly setting fire to different areas there. There have been 37 cases of fire until now in that area.
Other fires have been seen these days in the northern Lac district, close to a factory and also threatening some houses nearby.
In central Elbasan two fires around the city have caused damage and serious threats.
The Defense Ministry has been fighting fires alongside the other units with equipment, like helicopters, to stop fires in areas where firefighters’ trucks cannot reach.
There have been fires almost all over the country, starting from the northwestern district of Shkodra, going to the southeastern one of Korca and the southern ones of Gjirokastra, Tepelena, southwestern Vlora and other areas in northern Albania.
They first began in early July and have continued since.