Ten Fires in 48 Hours Near Rojnići
Heatwave and dry ground have created ideal conditions for the spread of fire, keeping firefighters busy across the Istrian peninsula since yesterday.
Heatwave and dry ground have created ideal conditions for the spread of fire, keeping firefighters busy across the Istrian peninsula since yesterday.
In just two days, August 5 and 6, 2026, Istrian firefighters recorded ten firefighting interventions at various locations across the peninsula. The heatwave, extremely high temperatures, and exceptionally dry vegetation have created conditions in which fires ignite and spread almost instantly.
The most dramatic situation was near the village of Rojnići in the Barban area, where the blaze dangerously approached residential buildings, stables, and farm structures, threatening their direct destruction. Due to the serious risk of further spread toward populated areas, four Canadair aircraft were called in to assist ground forces.
The coordinated operation with aerial support resulted in the fire being contained, after which the aircraft returned to their home base in Zadar. Firefighting crews remained at the scene, however, mop-up operations and terrain surveillance continued to prevent any re-ignition.
Thursday brought no relief either. Ivica Rojnić, commander of the Pula Public Fire Brigade, confirmed that by 3 PM they had responded to four different locations.
- Since this morning, we've had interventions in the Balići-Rudani area, where an illegal dump was burning; the fire was extinguished. In Ližnjan, grass, low vegetation, and a camper were burning. In Medulin, an electrical cabinet fire was put out, while the last intervention was in the Barbariga area toward Sv. Foška, Rojnić told Dnevno.hr.
Six fires on the first day and four on the second total ten interventions in 48 hours, a figure that prompts even experienced firefighters to issue another appeal. Dry vegetation and unbearable heat have created conditions in which even the slightest carelessness, an unextinguished cigarette butt, an unattended grill, can lead to unforeseeable consequences, warn Istrian firefighting units.
