A large fire has been burning in the Suli Forest near Devoll. Sources from the Municipality of Devoll told the media that the surface being burned is considerable as the fire has been spreading for more than 48 hours.
Some 30 firefighters are engaged in trying to stop the spread of the fire and they have managed to extinguish one area. The firefighters said that the affected terrain is very difficult which makes it hard to isolate the current area.
Other fires were reported in the village of Miras, near the Greek border but they were extinguished in cooperation with the Greek fire brigade.
Meanwhile, in Lezhe and Mirdita, a large forest fire has been burning for over a week.
The fire started in Lezhe County but spread to nearby Mirdita due to the wind. Reports said that the fires were approaching the villages of Bulger, Katund i Vjeter and Rubik putting homes and property at risk.
Concerns were raised that not enough was being done to put out the fire, despite the area being a focus of development for mountain tourism. Local authorities said intervention from the ground was impossible and there was no immediate risk to inhabitants.
A source in Fishte told Exit that the fire is spreading and there are not enough firefighters or volunteers to combat it or bring it under control. They added that it didn’t seem like any nearby houses were under immediate threat.
Albania has experienced a slightly drier winter, spring, and summer than usual. This could have led to drier conditions that have facilitated a quicker spread of the flames.
