A 77-year-old man died while apparently trying to extinguish a vegetation fire near the northern Bosnian town of Tešanj, as emergency crews battled wildfires across the country, including several near the Croatian border.
Firefighters found the man’s body while responding to a low-vegetation fire in the village of Šije, the Interior Ministry of the Zenica-Doboj Canton said.
Authorities have not established the precise circumstances of his death. Initial information suggested that he had attempted to fight the fire alone.
High temperatures, dry ground and a prolonged lack of rainfall have complicated firefighting operations across Bosnia and Herzegovina.
One of the country’s largest active fires was burning on Mount Risovac near Bosansko Grahovo, close to the Croatian border. The fire has affected a large forested area and extended along a front of more than 15 kilometres.
Croatia deployed two Canadair CL-415 water-bombing aircraft to assist Bosnian crews, while a helicopter from Bosnia’s armed forces was also operating in the area.
A separate fire was burning on Mount Plješevica near Bihać. Rugged terrain and suspected minefields left from the 1990s war have restricted access and made aerial assistance essential.
In southern Bosnia, firefighters were also tackling a blaze near Ivanica, close to Dubrovnik. Crews from Dubrovnik and Župa Dubrovačka joined the operation as the flames moved towards the border.
Other active fires were reported around Cazin, Pale-Prača, Nevesinje, Konjic, Mostar and Čapljina. Bosnia’s armed forces remained deployed at several fire sites on Friday.