While firefighters throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina are fighting large fires, the problem of a lack of systemic response to major natural disasters is becoming more and more apparent. BiH has not had an adequate infrastructure for extinguishing large fires for years, while initiatives for the procurement of fire extinguishers and other fire-fighting equipment remain mostly without concrete implementation.
According to the data in the attachment, from 2008 to 2024, about 600,000 hectares were burned in BiH, which represents approximately 12 percent of the country’s surface. Experts warn that forest protection is often discussed more seriously only when fires have already broken out.
The idea of procuring canards through the regional cooperation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro has existed for more than a decade. The project was supported and adopted on paper, but it never took off. While neighboring countries procured firefighting planes, BiH remained dependent on their help when large fires got out of control.
Inaccessible and mined terrains are a special problem. In the Plješevica area near Bihać, for example, a fire has spread to terrain that is difficult for firefighters to access, and part of the area is mined or suspected of being mined. Therefore, after approval by the Presidency of BiH, a helicopter of the Armed Forces of BiH was also involved in extinguishing the fire.
Experts, however, warn that helicopters are no substitute for firefighting aircraft. “Our country needs Canadairs, but I think we are light years away from that,” said Adi Selman from Karton Revolucija.
An additional problem is that the system has relied on improvisation, the engagement of firefighters and help from the neighborhood for years. According to experts from the Public Enterprise “Šume” of the Tuzla Canton, the forest protection strategy adopted by the Council of Ministers of BiH back in 2013 has never been fully implemented, while funds earmarked for firefighting infrastructure are often diverted.
