Wildfire closes Trebinje–Dubrovnik highway; villages evacuated and tourists turned back
Highway between Trebinje and Dubrovnik closed as firefighters battle a wildfire that has prompted evacuations and disrupted holiday travel.
A large wildfire erupted today along the border area between Bosnia and Croatia, forcing the closure of the main highway that links Trebinje in Bosnia and Dubrovnik in Croatia and prompting thousands of tourists to turn back.
Several villages around the small town of Ivanica in Bosnia were evacuated as flames neared homes in the area. Local firefighters reported that some livestock were also caught by the fire.
Cross-border response and access problems
Fire crews from nearby Dubrovnik have arrived to assist Bosnian teams in battling the forest blaze. Bosnian police closed the busy tourist road connecting Trebinje and Dubrovnik, forcing many travellers to abandon or change their holiday plans.
“We came to see the area, the surroundings of Trebinje and to visit family, and we tried to go to the sea a bit today, but the police stopped us and asked us to turn back. It's because of the fire, and the road is closed. We'll try to change our plans, maybe we'll try again tomorrow,” said Aleksandar Bošković, a tourist from Serbia.
Local authorities say the fire is spreading across an area with a diameter of over 16 kilometres, and access is severely hampered by narrow hills and mountainous terrain. Bosnian police and firefighting services are being supported by a helicopter, but relentless heat and strong winds are pushing the fire farther inland.
Southern Bosnia and Herzegovina is prone to summer wildfires, but this year’s season has become one of the hottest and driest in recent memory. The Trebinje area has not seen rain for months, leaving parched ground highly vulnerable to blazes.
Photo: press material from the event
