State of emergency in Makarska, Croatia

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 18:26:44 GMT
A state of emergency has been declared in the southern Adriatic resort of Makarska, Croatia as gusts continue to fan forest flames. The forest fire, suspected to have been sparked by power cables short-circuiting, broke out on Friday evening and spread quickly, surrounding the city which is 400 kilometers from the Croatian capital, Zagreb. "Because a number of fires have spread many kilometers, we still cannot say that the fire has been put under control," the head of the fire service, Mladen Jurin, told local television as reported by AFP. Planes and helicopters were needed to help extinguish the fire, which is believed to be the worst to have hit Croatia this year. Around 400 firemen using 120 trucks continued to tackle the fire on Sunday, getting support from helicopters. LF/SME/RA, Original source at PressTV.