Large fire in Haspiraj, Peqin, burns shrubs, forest and olive groves

A large area of shrubs, forest and olive groves was engulfed by fire in the village of Haspiraj, in the Municipality of Peqin.

The fire was detected in the afternoon, while the terrain and the spread of the flames made the firefighters’ intervention difficult. The teams arrived immediately to contain the fire.

After nearly three hours of intensive work, the firefighters brought the situation under control and completely extinguished the flames. This prevented the fire from spreading toward other areas covered with vegetation and orchards, journalist Fatmir Popja reported.

In recent days, fires have become a recurring concern in the territory of Peqin, where outbreaks have been recorded in several rural areas. Some of them are suspected to have been caused by the burning of agricultural land. High temperatures, dry vegetation and strong winds can quickly cause this practice to get out of control.

The Peqin firefighting service has called on farmers and citizens not to light fires in open areas and not to burn agricultural waste in an uncontrolled manner.

The strong winds of recent days have helped the flames spread quickly, increasing the risk of damage to large areas of olive groves, orchards and natural vegetation.