Fires in Albania: 13 hotspots remain active, with 317 personnel and 32 firefighting vehicles deployed

As of 5:00 p.m. this Saturday, 23 fire hotspots have been identified across the country. The Ministry of Defence announced that 13 of them remain active, while two other hotspots are being monitored.

A total of 317 operational personnel have been mobilized to manage the situation, along with 32 firefighting vehicles. The structures operating in the field have been joined by 120 Armed Forces personnel, two firefighting vehicles, two helicopters and two Air Tractor aircraft from the Air Force.

In Tirana, operations are continuing on Mount Dajti, in the area above the Qafë-Mollë tunnels. Fifty Armed Forces personnel and two helicopters are involved in the operation. The Ministry of Defence said that populated areas are not at risk, while the Priskë–Gurrë e Madhe–Farkë–Lundër hotspot has been brought under control and is being monitored.

A significant effort has been focused on Gurë-Lurë in Dibër, where bulldozers have opened corridors to prevent the flames from approaching homes. The operation involves 150 municipal personnel, 20 police officers, 11 personnel from the Protected Areas Administration, 15 from the Fire Protection and Rescue Service and 50 Armed Forces personnel, with the support of two Air Tractor aircraft. The fire has affected approximately 200 hectares of pine forest, but no threat to homes has currently been reported.

In the Dibër–Bulqizë area, specifically at Qafë Helmes, 11 Fire Protection and Rescue Service personnel, 27 municipal personnel and 20 Armed Forces personnel are operating. The flames have been extinguished on the Bulqizë village side, while the hotspot remains active in the direction of Selishtë, without threatening populated areas.

The hotspot in Abaze, Krujë, still has low-level activity and poses no risk to homes, while the one in Zidoll is being monitored. In Lufaj, Mirditë, teams are continuing efforts to extinguish the flames and create firebreaks, with the aim of preventing the fire from spreading toward populated areas.

In Fushë-Lajë, Pukë, the fire remains active in rugged terrain, making intervention by personnel more difficult. However, no threat to homes has been reported.

In Gjirokastër County, hotspots remain active in Sotirë, Dropull, Bregu i Lejlekut, Libohovë and Krahës in Memaliaj. Fire Protection and Rescue Service teams are on the ground and, according to information from the Ministry of Defence, populated areas are not at risk.

In Vlorë County, there are fire hotspots in Gjormë, Aliban and Mesaplik. The situation in Gjormë has been brought under control, while efforts to extinguish the flames are continuing in Aliban and Mesaplik. No threat to homes has been reported in these areas either.

In Dardhë, Librazhd, operations by Fire Protection and Rescue Service teams, municipal personnel and the forestry service are continuing. According to reports, the fire does not threaten populated areas.

The Ministry of Defence stressed that the situation is being addressed in a coordinated manner, through operations on the ground and from the air. In most of the hotspots that remain active, there have been no reports of a threat to populated areas. The National Civil Protection Agency, through the National Operational Centre for Civil Emergencies, continues to monitor developments and coordinate operations throughout the country.