Croatian Fire Services Bolster Equipment as Wildfire Season Peaks

heat wave wildfire season fire trucks high‑tech fire equipment cross‑border cooperation

The Croatian Fire Service warned citizens to exercise extreme caution during an intense heat wave and prolonged drought, citing heightened risk of fast‑spreading forest fires. Chief fire commander Slavko Tucaković reported that the current fire season has seen 54 % more burned area and 7.3 % more fires than the previous year, with 7,987 ha affected so far.

In response, three new forest‑fire trucks were handed over to stations in Rijeka, Donji Andrijevci and Brinje, part of a €20 million project to acquire 78 specialised vehicles by early next year. Additional trucks are scheduled for delivery through August, aiming for a total fleet of 50‑60 by year‑end.

Separately, the Vinkovci fire brigade received a suite of high‑tech rescue gear under a cross‑border EU‑funded project with Bosnia‑and‑Herzegovina. The equipment includes a thermal‑imaging drone, battery‑powered power unit, encrypted TETRA radios, protective suits and boots, and a Mercedes‑Benz Axor vehicle for the Orašje civil‑protection authority. The initiative seeks to harmonise procedures and improve joint response to wildfires, floods and other natural disasters across the border.

Entities: Croatian fire service · Ilija Jezidžić · Krešimir Jelić · Slavko Tucaković · Vinkovci Fire Brigade

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[○ 1 SOURCE] In the last 24 hours, 471 firefighters and 64 vehicles responded to 119 interventions. (f92c98db-8f2d-4870-90dd-6c93a4cbd8ee)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Three forest‑fire trucks were delivered to stations in Rijeka, Donji Andrijevci and Brinje as part of a €20 million project to acquire 78 specialised vehicles. (f92c98db-8f2d-4870-90dd-6c93a4cbd8ee)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The cross‑border project was implemented through cooperation between Croatia's Ministry of Regional Development and EU funds and the Orašje civil‑protection authority in Bosnia‑and‑Herzegovina. (fc8b3cea-b454-41ee-aff3-edaae335cc83)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The Croatian Fire Service warned citizens to exercise extreme caution during an intense heat wave and prolonged drought due to heightened fire risk. (a531018e-8932-4b74-aca9-d88bcc8c614d)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Vinkovci fire brigade received high‑tech equipment including a thermal‑imaging drone, battery‑powered aggregator, TETRA radios, protective suits and boots under an EU‑funded cross‑border project with (fc8b3cea-b454-41ee-aff3-edaae335cc83)
[○ 1 SOURCE] By August, five additional fire trucks will be allocated, aiming for a total of 50‑60 trucks by year‑end and all 78 by February next year. (f92c98db-8f2d-4870-90dd-6c93a4cbd8ee)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The 2024 fire season in Croatia has 54 % more burned area and 7.3 % more fires than the previous year, with 7,987 ha burned. (f92c98db-8f2d-4870-90dd-6c93a4cbd8ee)