After a Fire, Pollution Followed Despite Precautions. What Happens When No One Takes Care?

No fire involving waste, plastic or chemicals ends without leaving some mark on the environment, even when the danger is not immediately visible. The Gospić case has brought a growing number of other stories into view, pointing to pollution that was hidden or allowed to poison the environment and drinking water for years.

A large fire several years ago in Osijek destroyed an enormous area of stored plastic. Once the fire subsided, measurements showed no air pollution. The soil, however, had been contaminated, and that pollution did not disappear as quickly.

A similar problem emerged after a recent fire in the production hall of a Karlovac factory that makes paints and varnishes. Initial measurements found no air pollution after the blaze was brought under control. But investigators discovered that some of the large volume of water used to extinguish the fire had flowed into the nearby Mrežnica River.

Firefighters reacted as soon as they noticed the discharge. They installed barriers and began rehabilitating the river. The city warned residents not to swim in either the Mrežnica or the Korana, into which the Mrežnica flows downstream, until further notice.