More than three hours battling the flames: dangerous fire in Bunavi, Vlora extinguished

Firefighters needed more than three hours of battling the flames to bring under control and then extinguish the dangerous fire in the village of Bunavi, Vlora on Sunday (September 21).

The fire broke out around 14:00 and, aided by the wind and dense vegetation, spread rapidly, burning dozens of century-old olive trees, orchards and grazing land.

The flames also seriously threatened several homes, while residents joined around 50 firefighters and other field forces to prevent the fire from spreading toward houses.

According to fire chief Luan Kapaj, the difficult terrain and dense vegetation made the intervention difficult. During the operation, homes were kept under constant monitoring, while hay bales intended for livestock were also burned.

The biggest damage is reported to the century-old olive trees. After around three hours and thirty minutes, the fire was brought under control, while monitoring of the area continues to prevent the flames from reactivating.

Residents say the situation was difficult and they experienced moments of fear, especially because of the danger of the flames approaching their homes.