The wildfire near Jablanica, south of Sarajevo, which has been active for days is spreading at dramatic speed and is now threatening the location that is home to the largest number of endemic species in Bosnia and Herzegovina, environmental activists have warned.

Satellite images released Friday morning by the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) show the locations on the Cvrsnica Mountain just above Jablanica that were affected by wildfires and spreading towards the endemic site Plasa.

“If helicopters do not start putting the fire out as soon as this morning, Plasa – the location with the largest number of endemic species in Bosnia and Herzegovina, will burn down,” warned the activists of NGO ‘Eko Akcija’.

According to the latest reports by the Civil Protection Agency in southern Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, the wildfires are still active in the area of Jablanica, Stolac and Capljina.

Inaccessibility of the steep terrain makes it difficult for the firefighters to reach the affected locations, which is why the local authorities asked for the support of the Bosnian Armed Forces and their helicopters, which has not been approved yet.