Over the past two days, several fires have been active on the Livno side of Mount Dinara, near the border with the Republic of Croatia. The firefighting efforts have become so severe that assistance from Croatian Canadair aircraft has been requested.

According to the Voluntary Fire Brigade of St. Ana Listani Livno, multiple fires have merged into one and have crossed the border into Croatia. There are growing concerns that the situation could mirror that of 2017 when vast areas of Dinara were devastated by fire, and several Livno settlements were threatened.

The firefighters report that strong winds are exacerbating the situation, and in some areas, they are unable to access certain locations due to the presence of landmines.

Since the early hours of Saturday, firefighters have been actively battling the blaze, with additional support arriving from the Voluntary Fire Brigade “Gospe Vidoske” in Vidosi – Livno.

However, the wind is intensifying and changing direction, with strong southerly winds spreading the flames over 15 meters.

“Despite our firebreaks and countermeasures, the wind was too strong. We didn’t give up, splitting into small groups to tackle the fire where we could, and at times we succeeded, but only briefly. In some moments, the fire would erupt, placing our men in almost impossible situations, signalling a retreat,” stated the St. Ana Listani fire brigade.

They added that their only hope lies in aerial assistance, which has been urgently requested.

Firefighters remain on standby near the settlements at the foot of Mount Dinara (Rujani and Listani). If the wind does not subside, many areas could be at risk, prompting further requests for additional personnel and equipment.

In response to their call, around 40 members of the Livno Professional City Brigade, along with volunteers from two local fire brigades, forestry workers, and hunters, set out early Sunday morning to tackle the fire burning above the settlements of Rujani and Listani. According to the City Administration, two Canadair planes from Croatia are expected to assist, with hopes that rain might fall later in the day.