Wind, land mines complicate fire fighting in Bosnia

Wind, land mines complicate fire fighting in Bosnia

KONJIC, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Authorities say heavy winds are keeping military helicopters from fighting four wildfires in southern Bosnia, including one blaze close to an ammunition factory.

That fire has set off explosions in a minefield close to the factory. The other three blazes are on steep hills not accessible to firefighting teams. One is creeping up on Glavicina, a village close to the town of Konjic.

Husein Hodzic, deputy head of the Konjic civil protection agency, said today that the rough winds had turned two wildfires into four overnight.

This summer has been one of the hottest on record in Bosnia, with virtually no rain for two months.

Land mines left over from Bosnia’s 1992-95 war greatly complicate efforts to deal with some of the wildfires.