Fire is unforgiving, and unscrupulous individuals knowingly play with it

A night of fighting flames and hurricane-force winds revealed the seriousness of the threat: at night, during hurricane-force winds, someone set another fire in the same area in the Krka National Park.

The night between Wednesday and Thursday was anything but peaceful in the Krka National Park area. At 21:36, a report of a fire in an open area in the Kovilići village was received, after which several hours of firefighting began, which was further complicated by strong gusts of the bura (north) wind. Despite the extremely difficult conditions, thirty-four firefighters with twelve vehicles who participated in extinguishing the fire finally managed to bring it under control.

Given that this is not the first case of fire in that area, and it always occurs in conditions making it difficult to extinguish, i.e. when there is a strong wind, we would like to point out the catastrophic consequences of deliberately starting a fire, and call on the perpetrators to take moral responsibility, in the hope that criminal liability will follow for such a conscious and deliberate act.

“What was done was not caused by mischievous or careless behavior. It was not the result of a thoughtless act, but rather represented a conscious endangerment of life, nature, and everything that belongs to us all”, stated the director of the Krka National Park, Nella Slavica, and added: "In a protected area like the Krka National Park, a fire means destroyed habitats, the death of rare and protected plant and animal species, and the disruption of an entire ecosystem that has been created over centuries, and it also means something even more serious – a threat to human lives. In fact, the burned area of Čulišića Bare is an important nesting site for the Natura program target bird species."

The firefighters who spent the night at the scene of the fire are not just faceless numbers. These are people who risked their lives fighting the fire and the hurricane-force winds to prevent an even worse disaster. One miscalculation, one strong gust of wind, and the consequences could have been tragic.

Fires are a major threat to local communities, property, and the safety of the people who live there. Fire has no direction nor boundaries – it spreads, engulfs, and destroys everything in its path.

If this fire was caused intentionally, then behind it lies not only irresponsibility, but a complete lack of awareness of the consequences of such actions. And that is why we say clearly: such behavior is unacceptable, shameful, and dangerous.

We expect that the relevant state services will determine responsibility, and that such actions will be criminally sanctioned.

And to whoever did this, we say: destroying nature is not an act of courage or fun, something that can be done without consequences. It is an act that leaves a mark on an area and its people.

We did not inherit the nature we were granted to destroy it, but instead to preserve it.