42,000 Liters of Rescue on Rab: Firefighters Fill the Dried-Up Fruška Lokva
Prolonged heatwaves and drought have emptied the natural watering hole, and in a Saturday operation, firefighters cleaned the pond and filled it with 42,000 liters of water.
Prolonged heatwaves and drought have emptied the natural watering hole, and in a Saturday operation, firefighters cleaned the pond and filled it with 42,000 liters of water.
Fruška lokva, a crucial natural watering hole on the island of Rab, has nearly vanished under the impact of prolonged heatwaves and drought-and what remained was deep mud where animals got stuck in their desperate search for a drop of water. Faced with alarming scenes, citizens called the Rab Volunteer Fire Department and initiated an urgent rescue operation.
The intervention that followed on Saturday evening, August 8, was not a simple water refill-it was preceded by extensive cleaning of the site itself. In cooperation with the utility company Vodovod Hrvatsko primorje, Vrelo Rab branch, whose truck with a grapple removed sheep carcasses, firefighters from Rab and Lopar prepared the terrain, while the disposal of dead animals was arranged with the City of Rab.
Only after the basin was cleaned did the pumping of a total of 42,000 liters of water begin-an amount that alleviated the immediate problem and restored access to water for the animals. The operation, therefore, required far more than just bringing a tanker: first, the consequences of death had to be removed to enable survival.
After the intervention, the firefighters also addressed criticisms that had appeared on social media in the preceding days. They stated that they cannot have information about the condition of every location in the large area they cover-which is precisely why citizen reports are extremely important to them.
They emphasized that upon receiving reports, they regularly fill ponds intended for animals, including those on Goli Otok and in Sorinj, and that they gladly respond to such calls. The filling of Fruška lokva, they stressed, was done as soon as objective circumstances and the island's needs allowed-not when pressure on social media escalated.
From the Rab Volunteer Fire Department, they called on citizens that when they notice a similar problem, they should not just leave comments and posts, but directly inform the relevant services that can take concrete action. The entire situation is a strong reminder of the importance of timely reporting, especially during periods of prolonged heat when the condition of watering holes requires extra attention-particularly in areas where both livestock and wild animals depend on them.
