Tomislav Orlovac, commander of the Nova Gradiška Public Fire Brigade, revealed that initial estimates of the fire near Mašićka Šagovina were far smaller than the actual disaster captured by a police drone.
The fire that broke out on Monday afternoon in the area of Mašićka Šagovina was extinguished this morning at 6:28 a.m., after nearly 16 hours of exhausting battle with the blaze. While initial reports from the field mentioned 10 to 15 hectares of affected area, footage from a police drone revealed a terrifying truth, the flames had consumed at least 100 hectares.
Tomislav Orlovac, commander of the Nova Gradiška Public Fire Brigade, confirmed to 035portal that the fire has been extinguished and described the dramatic course of the night. Initial estimates from the field during Monday afternoon suggested significantly less damage, but the aerial view completely changed the perception.
"At around 7:30 p.m., the police used a drone to capture the fire site, and it was then determined that we are talking about an area of about 100 hectares, and it is possible that even more was affected. Unfortunately, young forest also suffered," Orlovac said.
The operation, which began on Monday at around 2:30 p.m., was marked from the start by extremely unfavorable conditions. The wind constantly changed direction, driving the fire in all directions and continuously altering the situation on the ground. Additionally, the terrain configuration proved to be an almost insurmountable obstacle for standard firefighting vehicles.
"We had various vehicles, but without 'boots' and tracks, it simply doesn't work on such terrain. The terrain is very inaccessible, and that, along with the wind, posed the biggest problem for us," the commander explained.
As the night progressed and the scale of the fire became clearer, the number of engaged firefighters increased from the initial 43 to as many as 58. Orlovac emphasized that firefighters spent almost the entire night at the fire site, battling the blaze that raged amid high daytime temperatures.
"The fire was extinguished this morning at 6:28 a.m. In the end, 58 firefighters took part in the operation, and the biggest problems were the wind and inaccessible terrain. It blew from all directions; we practically had all the winds of the compass, which constantly changed the situation on the ground," Orlovac said.
Particularly concerning is the damage to young forest, which will take years to recover. The final area affected by the fire and the extent of the damage will only be precisely determined later. The key question remains open, what caused the fire that consumed at least a hundred hectares. According to unofficial information, human factors are suspected, but this information should be taken with caution as there is no official conclusion on the cause yet. The answer should come from the police investigation.
