Firefighters Warn: Fire on Dinara Will Last for Days
Fire on inaccessible terrain still active, firefighters battle a kilometer-long front, and residents advised to exercise caution due to smoke and ash.
Fire on inaccessible terrain still active, firefighters battle a kilometer-long front, and residents advised to exercise caution due to smoke and ash.
The fire on Mount Dinara remains active, and county fire chief Darko Dukić warns that the battle against the blaze will continue. "Dinara will burn for days," Dukić told HRT Region Knin on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
The fight is being waged on a kilometer-long fire front in inaccessible terrain, and the situation will be further complicated by a southerly wind. During the day, due to high temperatures, there is a possibility that the fire line will re-ignite. Dukić warns that without access roads, ground forces cannot act significantly.
Firefighters from the Knin Public Fire Brigade are battling the fire from Brezovac toward the summit, and they are being joined by colleagues from the Šibenik brigade. Currently, about thirty firefighters are on the ground.
"There is a lot of smoldering and open flames in gorges and ravines, where assistance from two Air Tractors is expected soon," said Chief Darko Dukić. This morning, Knin firefighters established a safety zone near the Bili cvitak mountain shelter.
Firefighters are also operating in the area around Unište, and efforts are underway to secure the area toward the Cetina River.
Due to smoke and ash carried by the wind, the county Institute of Public Health urges residents to be cautious. "It is recommended to spend as little time outdoors as possible, covering your mouth and nose with protective masks or damp cloths," said epidemiologist Dr. Ljubica Kronja from the Institute of Public Health of Šibenik-Knin County.
Kronja added that indoors, smoke should be prevented from entering by closing windows and turning off air conditioning units that draw air from outside.
