VIDEO: Hercegovina engulfed by fire as flames change direction and smoke reaches Dalmatia

A major fire in Hercegovina changed direction overnight and spread toward the Tomislavgrad area, leaving the Duvanjsko Polje covered in smoke on Sunday morning. The blaze, which began Friday between Kupres, Tomislavgrad and Prozor-Rama, remained out of control as strong and unpredictable winds continued to shift the fire line.

The spread toward Vran Mountain has caused particular concern. Crews are building a firebreak road there, and some available forces are expected to move toward that section of the fire. If the flames enter the large forest complex, the intervention could become significantly more difficult and cause much greater damage.

All available local forces are involved, including the Tomislavgrad professional fire brigade, volunteer fire departments from Šujica and Ostrožac, civil protection workers, forestry employees and numerous volunteers. Heavy machinery is opening fire roads to slow the flames as they move toward settlements below Ljubuša.

Firefighters and other teams have spent two days and two nights at the site. Despite exhaustion, rough terrain and winds that repeatedly change the direction of the flames, the operation continued. A helicopter from the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina arrived Sunday morning to assist the firefighters.

The largest reported material damage so far is in Mrkodol, where four houses burned, according to information published Saturday evening. Dalmacija danas reported that residents across parts of Dalmatia smelled heavy smoke and burning. The Split-Dalmatia County fire operations center said there was no fire in the county, and that wind had carried smoke from the Hercegovina blaze across the border, from Imotski toward the coast and some Dalmatian islands.