Slovenian Planja forest fire stays under control, Prime Minister visits

A forest fire broke out on Thursday evening on the steep, hard‑to‑reach terrain of Planja on Bovško in north‑western Slovenia. The blaze has burned roughly 12 hectares of mixed beech, spruce and pine forest and is currently stable and under control, although new underground hotspots continue to appear.

Firefighters from nine fire brigades – Bovec, Tolmin, Radovljica, Kranj, Cerkno, Idrija, the municipal fire service of Kranj and others – have deployed 99 personnel and 25 vehicles. A Slovenian Army Cougar helicopter has been dropping water, delivering about 162 000 litres over three days, while drone units monitor the fire. Prime Minister Janez Janša visited the site, thanked the crews and highlighted the role of technology, saying future operations will also use unmanned aircraft. One firefighter suffered a wrist injury and was treated on‑site. The fire is expected to continue until rain arrives, with road closures and flight restrictions in the area remaining in place.