Croatia – Velebit Fire Caused by Burning of Bush
Velebit Fire Caused by Burning of Bush
29 July 2007
published by www.javno.com
Zadar police arrested a 25-year-old man from Starigrad on suspicion that he started the biggest fire this year, one that has been burning on Velebit for four days now.
Zadar police department says that investigation showed that the 25-year-old used matches to set a bush on fire in the Veliki Rujan area on Thursday, July 27, which caused the fire to spread across Veliki Rujan and to the area of the Paklenica National Park.
Minister of the Interior Ivica Kirin said in Divulje today that the pyromaniac responsible for the Velebit fire was arrested.
I have just been informed by the General Police Directorate that the person J.E. confessed that he had gotten angry and set a country house on Velebit on fire, which [was what] caused the fire. [It is impossible] to have several fires one after the other and for this to be random. The issue at hand are most likely deliberately started fires, said Kirin.
Two criminal reports filed in Zadar
The 25-year-old will be taken to the investigation judge at the Zadar County Court in the afternoon and answer charges for endangering life and property with a hazardous act or means, says the Zadar police administration.
Minister Kirin said that the police are also conducting a thorough investigation of the fires that were already put out and contained. He also concluded that it is impossible to categorize ten or more fires breaking out simultaneously in a relatively small area as chance.
A 29-year-old man from the island of Pasman will also appear before the investigation judge for trying to set a pine forest in the Dobropoljana residential district on the island on fire.
Reports have been filed against both accused parties for violating the County’s decision to impose a ban on starting fire in the open.
Prime Minister Sanader met with fire department chiefs at the fire unit headquarters in Divulje today. After the meeting, he announced that he would prompt the purchase of two more firefighting planes and three new air tractors at the government session on Thursday.
