For two days, the village of Bulçar in the Kodovjat Administrative Unit, Gramsh Municipality, has been engulfed by a massive fire, one of the largest for the month of September in the Elbasan region. The flames have engulfed a large forest area, bringing to mind the dramatic situation of August, when hundreds of hectares were burned and the consequences were severe.
The fire started in the early hours of Saturday and, although part of it has been contained, the situation remains alarming. Strong winds and rugged mountainous terrain are hindering ground intervention, while helicopters have also been involved in the operation to prevent it from spreading to residential and economically important areas.
According to Ilir Llapushi, head of the Gramsh Fire Service, firefighters, municipal employees and volunteers have been working non-stop, but weather conditions and the difficulty of the terrain are making extinguishing the fire difficult. He stressed that the fire is spreading quickly due to the wind and high temperatures.
The incident comes just weeks after the catastrophic fires of August, where over 620 hectares of forests and pastures were burned in the Municipality of Gramsh, along with hundreds of fruit trees, stables, livestock and agricultural buildings. Several families were evacuated, and much of the damage remains uncompensated.
Local authorities have called for urgent intervention by the central government and for the development of a national strategy against fires, including increased firefighting capacities in mountainous areas, investments in logistics, public education and stronger penalties for arsonists. The Bulçar case is another alarm that requires immediate action to avoid the recurrence of similar tragedies.
