- Title: BOSNIA/HERZEGOVINA: Villagers and firefighters battle wildfires
- Date: 29th August 2012
- Summary: CHILDREN CARRYING WATER AND DRINKS UPHILL TOWARDS FIRE
- Embargoed: 13th September 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Bosnia and Herzegovina
- City:
- Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Topics: Disasters
- Reuters ID: LVAD77DI5467T9XA31VU0PDCO7UY
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: Villagers, including children, joined firefighters to battle wildfires near the town of Jablanica in southwestern Bosnia on Wednesday (August 29).
The fires have been raging for days near to the Prenja mountain and have proved extremely difficult to contain because of rough terrain and unpredictable winds.
"We have more than 50 residents of Glogosnica out there who are equipped with makeshift equipment like rakes and they are all carrying water backpacks. They are being helped by firefighters from the Jablanica professional firefighting unit with their expertise and equipment. We are not satisfied, we are expecting another fly-over by the army helicopter. We are eagerly awaiting the helicopter so that we can finish putting out this part of the fire, which is threatening the area behind us and another five villages," said Omer Dreznjak, head of Jablanica firefighting unit.
On Wednesday the fires were close to residential areas in the village of Glogosnica, some 10 kilometres from the town of Jablanica.
Although a Bosnian army helicopter helped battle the fires with a water drop on Wednesday morning the situation is still dire with the fire threatening Glogosnica and five other villages in the area.
"We have been here constantly for three days now. We keep coming to see if we can help. We couldn't carry the backpacks with water so we carried buckets instead. We have tried to help put out the fire as much as possible. People are fighting the fires constantly. These are superhuman efforts, but it seems nothing can be really achieved without help from the helicopters. This morning one of them came, it brought water it took from the lake, but it seems it was unable to accomplish much. We hope it will get better," said resident of Glogosnica Elmedina Imamovic.
A number of forest fires caused by weeks of extremely hot temperatures have been raging for days in Bosnia and Herzegovina. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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