There is no more danger of the fire at the Drava International plastics processing company spreading and the government will be requested to declare an ecological disaster due to this event, Osijek-Baranja County head Ivan Anusic and Osijek Mayor Ivan Radic said in the eastern city on Thursday. Pročitaj više

The fire, which broke out in the company’s storage facility outside Osijek shortly after midnight on Wednesday, was put under control yesterday afternoon. A large number of firefighters spent over 20 hours at the site yesterday. Three were injured while putting out the fire, including one seriously.

Speaking to the press after visiting the fire site this morning, Anusic said the fire was under control and there was no more danger of its spreading.

The biggest problem at the moment is the intensive smoke, which is spreading depending on the wind and this will last another two or three days, he said, adding that today firefighters will cover up the fire site to prevent the smoke from spreading.

“We expect a report on the damage from the fire and the smoke, and I think an ecological disaster should be declared, which we will request from the government today. We have to see the whole extent of this disaster, primarily due to the smoke, which has been coming from the fire site for more than 24 hours and which has polluted not just the air, but the soil also,” Anusic said.

According to him, it is too early to speak about what caused the fire. He hopes experts from the Ivan Vucetic Forensic Science Centre will arrive and determine the causes and why the fire was so strong and our of control.

Asked about air quality, Anusic said it changed depending on the wind and that Osijek and the northern part of the county were safe from the smoke, while the south was not.

Mayor Radic said that according to Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service data, air quality in the city was satisfactory and that if the wind turned towards Osijek, the authorities would take certain measures. All schools except one are open, he added.

County police commissioner Ladislav Bece said police were guarding the fire site and that an investigation would begin, together with experts, as soon as safety conditions allowed it.