Himara secretary-general: Fire reached apocalyptic proportions and spread within 20 minutes

The secretary-general of Himara Municipality, Pervin Gjikuria, described the situation caused by the previous day’s fire as apocalyptic during the “Review” program with Greta Topjana.

Gjikuria said Himara had not seen such a fire in decades. According to him, elderly residents of the area said they had not witnessed flames of a similar scale in 40-50 years, while the night was particularly difficult for everyone.

No injuries have been reported so far. Meanwhile, Himara Municipality set up working groups early in the morning to assess the damage in the affected area.

Initial inspections have confirmed that three homes were destroyed by the fire, along with three other premises used as warehouses, auxiliary spaces or uninhabited buildings.

Agriculture has also suffered extensive damage. Around 40 beehives have so far been identified as having burned, while the number of damaged olive trees is believed to be in the thousands, although no final figure is yet available.

Gjikuria added that affected property owners are expected to continue reporting their losses to the relevant groups established by the municipality. In addition to agriculture, the flames also damaged the water supply and electricity networks.

More than 95% of the water supply problems have been resolved by the Vlora Regional Water Supply Directorate. Work was suspended because of the darkness, while the remaining faults are expected to be repaired during the following day.

The electricity situation has been almost entirely stabilized, with only two families still unable to be reconnected. In this case as well, work on the ground was hampered by the darkness.

According to the secretary-general of Himara Municipality, the fire started in the area known as “1 Maji.” Strong winds caused the flames to spread rapidly, and within just 20 minutes the situation was out of control.

Numerous forces from Himara and other municipalities were deployed to extinguish the fire. Twenty-one fire engines and more than seven water tankers arrived at the scene, while the number of support personnel exceeded 300. Of these, 170 were firefighters.

During the night, a “Bayraktar” drone was also used to monitor the situation. Aerial intervention began at daybreak and, according to Gjikuria, significantly helped efforts to tackle the fire.

The most critical moment during the night stemmed from fears that the flames could also engulf Upper Pilur. However, the vigilance of the firefighting forces made it possible to keep the situation under control.

Gjikuria said the municipality had also prepared for an evacuation scenario. The reception center for evacuees was operational but was not used, as the 30 people who left the area were accommodated by relatives.

There are currently no reports of any active fire posing a direct risk to residential areas, property or residents. The remaining hotspots are in remote and isolated areas surrounded by land that has already burned, so they are not considered a cause for concern.