A wave of fires has swept through several counties across the country, with a worsening situation on the outskirts of Tirana, in Kruja, Dibër and Patos. According to the official version from the Ministry of Defense, 10 active hotspots have been recorded in recent hours, while hundreds of personnel and aerial assets have been deployed on the ground to contain the spread of the flames.
Priska e Madhe, flames spread quickly
A large fire broke out in the afternoon in the area of Priska e Madhe, in the village of Daias in Tirana. The wind has favored the rapid spread of the flames, while smoke has covered the entire area.
Firefighting forces and a helicopter from the Air Force are on the ground. The fire hotspots, according to reports from the area, are reactivating from time to time because of the wind, while the aerial intervention has been focused near homes to prevent further spread.
Official claim: homes are not at direct risk
According to the authorities, no problems for homes have been reported so far, as the affected area is mainly dense vegetation and scrubland. However, the fact that aerial intervention is being carried out near houses shows that the situation remains delicate and dependent on the wind and the pace at which the flames spread.
In such cases, the real balance of risk often becomes clearer only after the hotspot is stabilized, while on the ground the priority remains isolating the fire and protecting inhabited areas.
Kruja, Lura and Patos among the most problematic hotspots
According to the Ministry of Defense, besides Tirana, a difficult situation is also being reported in Kruja, Dibër and Patos. In total, the institution reports 10 active hotspots and the deployment of more than 500 operational personnel, 5 Air Force helicopters and 2 Air Tractor planes.
In Kruja, the fires have continued for several days. The most problematic point is reported in the village of Abazë, where the municipality has ordered the evacuation of residents, while dozens of personnel and two helicopters are working on the ground.
In Lura, in Dibër, one of the most difficult operations is underway, as the flames threaten the National Park. Firefighters, police and the two Air Tractor planes have been deployed in the area, with forces positioned near homes that could be affected.
A severe situation is also reported in Drenie, in the Municipality of Patos, where footage from the ground shows entire areas engulfed by flames and multiple interventions by emergency forces.
The spread of hotspots across several counties at the same time is putting pressure on response capacity on the ground, while fires fueled by the wind remain unstable and difficult to isolate.
Beyond the figures reported by the institutions, the real situation in the affected areas remains directly linked to control of the wind, access to the terrain and the speed of intervention near homes and protected areas.