How to NOT make friends in the Balkans.
Photo by Cameron Strandberg
Every year, the Balkan region is hit by spates of dangerous forest fires. This year has been particularly bad, with sustained spells of high heat with no rain. So when a tourist in Montenegro got lost, his method of alerting rescuers did not go down well.
A Stupid Tourist Strikes
A Polish tourist, lost in forested hills near Bar, the popular resort on Montenegro’s Adriatic Coast, found himself lost. Deciding that the only way of escape was for rescuers to find him, he decided to alert any potential heroes to his position by lighting a fire. He did this successfully. Too successfully. The fire began small…
Soon, though, the fire was spreading rapidly. It’s unclear whether he has yet been found, but when he is the police are likely to have some very stern words with him.
Balkan Forest Fires in 2017
There have been many fires this summer in the Balkans, particularly along the Adriatic Coast. As well as Montenegro, Croatia has been particularly badly effected. Perhaps most afflicted of all, however, has been Albania.
Forest Fires on the Great Balkan Ride 2017
On the Great Balkan Ride, we came uncomfortably close to many fires. At one point, several of our teams were driving through smoke, whilst following a gas tanker. Elsewhere, we passed the process of a village being evacuated. The photo above shows the view from near the Blue Eye lagoon, between Sarande and Gjirokaster.
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