The number of fires this year to date is up by 24% on the year and the number of wildfires by 40%, and there have also been more fatalities and injured persons, the Croatian Fire Association said on Saturday.

The number of fatalities is up by 37% and the number of injured persons by 36% at 135, including 21 firemen, up 42%.

In this year’s firefighting season, there have been 40 fires a day on average.

This year through 24 August, there have been 9,200 wildfires and 55,184 hectares have burned, up 156% on the year.