Wildfires spread across Bosnia as Armed Forces helicopters join firefighting operations / VIDEO

The Pljesevica fire has been burning for days on steep and difficult-to-access terrain. As flames spread across the mountain, the situation also became the subject of a political dispute in Bosnia and Herzegovina over requests for the deployment of Armed Forces helicopters.

On Sunday morning, however, helicopters of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina took off to assist firefighting efforts in the municipalities of Bihac, Kalesija, Drvar and Prozor-Rama.

Defence Minister Zukan Helez ordered their deployment after the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina approved the use of Armed Forces resources for firefighting operations in the affected areas.

Around 30 Armed Forces personnel were also deployed on the ground in Bihac.

According to the Defence Ministry, helicopters are being deployed according to operational priorities and safety conditions, taking into account that several wildfires are active simultaneously in different parts of the country.

Pljesevica fire crosses into Croatia

The fire on Mt Pljesevica, which has posed a serious problem in the Bihac area for days, has crossed into Croatia.

Hrvoje Matejcic, mayor of the Croatian municipality of Plitvice Lakes, said the fire had reached the Croatian side of the mountain, as had been expected because of strong winds.

Firefighters from the Plitvice Lakes Public Fire Brigade and Volunteer Fire Department were joined by crews from Gospic and Otocac, as well as a larger number of trained Croatian Forests workers.

"At certain locations near the very top of Plješevica, ground crews managed to stop the advance of the fire, but in extremely steep and inaccessible areas the fire continues to spread into the forest," Matejcic said.

The local fire service requested aerial reconnaissance to assess whether Canadair firefighting aircraft could be deployed. Strong winds had prevented firefighters from continuing operations during the night.

"A large part of Plješevica is affected by the fire. We hope firefighters will manage to bring it under control in the coming days," Matejcic said.

Political dispute over requests for military assistance

While firefighters battled the blaze, the deployment of Bosnia and Herzegovina's military helicopters became the subject of a political dispute.

Bihac Mayor Elvedin Sedic reacted after Almin Hopovac, an SDP representative in the Una-Sana Canton Assembly, said he had spoken with Defence Minister Zukan Helez and had been promised that a helicopter would be sent to Bihac.

Sedić said the city had previously sent requests and urgent appeals to the competent institutions and questioned why, in his view, a party-linked phone call appeared to take priority over institutional communication.

He argued that state resources should be available to citizens through official procedures and that no political actor should be thanked for providing assistance that state institutions are expected to deliver.

The City of Bihac and the Defence Ministry have, however, presented differing accounts of the requests.

The city says it officially sought aerial assistance four times. The Defence Ministry said that, after checking its official records, it had received only one formal request, on August 16, and that an Armed Forces helicopter had been deployed in response.

Ibrahim Dizdaric of Pomak, the political party to which Sedic also belongs, said an Armed Forces helicopter was a state resource rather than a party favour or political privilege and should be made available through institutions whenever citizens need it.

The dispute unfolded as the fire continued spreading, eventually crossing the state border into Croatia.

Major fire threatens settlements in Prozor-Rama

Elsewhere in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a major wildfire on Mt Radusa in the Prozor-Rama area remained active and was spreading towards the settlements of Proslap, Kozo and Orasac.

Firefighters from the Prozor-Rama Volunteer Fire Department, local residents and Air Tractor firefighting aircraft were involved in the operation. Assistance from an Armed Forces helicopter and international aerial firefighting support had also been requested.

According to information from the Prozor-Rama Civil Protection service, an Armed Forces helicopter had been operating at the fire site since 8 am on Sunday.

Another fire remained active at Dabica poljana near Konjic, where strong winds were accelerating its spread. Firefighters operated there on Saturday evening, but the blaze remained active.

A forest fire was also active in the area between the municipality of Nevesinje and the city of Konjic.

Fires recorded across Herzegovina

A number of fires were recorded in and around Mostar over the previous day and night, including in Gubavica, Bunica, Ruište/Dabića polje, Lakševine and Uborak.

Firefighters also responded to several incidents in the Capljina area. Among the most demanding were fires in Oplicici, Gabela and Stanojevici, where vegetation, grass and forest areas burned.

In Stanojevici, a fire involving forest and low vegetation became active again during the night. Firefighters subsequently inspected the fire sites in both Stanojevici and Gabela.

Helicopter fighting fire near Maglaj

A Civil Protection helicopter from Zenica-Doboj Canton was also deployed on Sunday morning to fight a fire in Sikola, in the municipality of Maglaj.

Dzavid Alicic, director of the Zenica-Doboj Canton Civil Protection Administration, said the fire had reached dangerous proportions on Saturday and, driven by wind, had threatened residential buildings.

According to Alicic, the helicopter dropped 12,000 litres of water, while Civil Protection personnel and professional firefighters managed to suppress and extinguish the section of the fire threatening the area. Crews were working to bring another fire on the difficult-to-access terrain under control.

A fire at Dubovo brdo, near the village of Brnjic in Kakanj, was localised and brought under control on Saturday. The helicopter dropped 15,000 litres of water there, and authorities said there was no threat of further spread.

Another fire remained active in the city of Zavidovici, but no request for helicopter assistance had been made. Alicic said personnel from the Zenica-Doboj Canton forestry company were keeping the blaze under control and that it was not threatening homes.

Zenica-Doboj Canton Civil Protection also received a request from Tuzla Canton for assistance in fighting a wildfire in Kalesija.

With fires active in several parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the same time, aerial resources are being deployed according to priorities and safety conditions, while firefighters and Civil Protection crews continue operations on the ground.