UPDATED: A few hours later the fires started again, and four villages have been evacuated
STA, 20 July 2022 - The fire that broke out in the Kras region on Tuesday, along the road between Miren and Opatje Selo near the border with Italy has been contained on the Slovenian side of the border, while the situation remains more uncertain on the Italian side, the regional Civil Protection reported on Wednesday morning.
During the night 15 Slovenian firefighters with three engines jumped in to help their Italian colleagues after members of the Kras Firefighting Association helped them on Tuesday.
The fire on the Slovenian side, under the Miren-Opatje Selo power line, broke out on Tuesday very close to where a fire was put out on Friday. A much larger fire in the north-western Kras, erupting on Sunday, was brought under control after nearing the village of Lokvica in an effort involving hundreds of Slovenian firefighters plus aircraft from Slovenia, Croatia and Italy.
Tuesday's fire was brought under control with the help of three Slovenian helicopters and the Pilatus PC 5 aircraft.
Fire watch teams remained on the sites of both fires during the night. Due to thick smoke, residents of the city of Nova Gorica and surrounding areas, Goriška Brda and the lower Posočje were urged last night to stay at home and close their windows.
The situation is much more risky on the Italian side of the border, where firefighters were battling flames in several spots throughout the night.
