Bosnia and Herzegovina: BIH: Fire – 09-2026 (2026-09-07)

Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina Sources: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, The Red Cross Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina Please refer to the attached file. Description Wildfires have been affecting large parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina since early August 2026, with the situation particularly severe in Herzegovina, where NASA fire-detection systems recorded 1, 292 hotspots in just the first 13 days of August — three times more than in the same period last year. The 2026 fire season has been driven by prolonged drought, high temperatures and strong, shifting winds, resulting in numerous simultaneous wildfires across both entities. Currently active fires (as of 6 September 2026) are affecting multiple regions: Bihać, Kalesija, Mrkonjić Grad, Kupres / Tomislavgrad, Bosanski Petrovac, Drvar and Prozor-Rama, where helicopters of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina were deployed following approval from the BiH Presidency, with around 30 troops also engaged on the ground in Bihać. Between Drvar and Glamoč, fire has affected the villages of Savići, Poljice and Crni Vrh, with several houses destroyed overnight after strong winds re-ignited the blaze. In the Poljice area (Kajtezi hamlet), the fire reached residential structures directly, prompting an urgent air-support request from the Municipality of Drvar. Fires are also active around Sarajevo: a large fire broke out in the upper Bijela river canyon and surrounding plateau in the Trnovo municipality, on the slopes of Mount Bjelašnica, with smoke reaching Sarajevo and causing measurably increased air pollution at monitoring stations in the western part of the city. Firefighters and forestry workers from KJP “Sarajevo-šume” have been battling a fire line roughly 26 kilometres long above Ostojići, an operation further complicated by landmine contamination in parts of the affected terrain. A separate fire on Mount Trebević, near East Sarajevo, broke out in late August and was extinguished after multi-day firefighting efforts involving over 100 personnel and a helicopter from the RS Police Air Unit; the area remains subject to preventive monitoring due to smouldering material in the karst terrain. Elsewhere, fires around Trebinje, Nevesinje, Konjic and Neum have been active for several weeks, with the Konjic fire on Džepska planina burning for over seven days. In Nevesinje, fire has reached close to the village of Humčani, with local firefighters and residents defending homes, while a second fire front is active at Zalom. In the Bileća area (Kazanci), two houses have burned over the past ten days. Trebinje — the fire near the city landfill at Obodina has been stabilized, with more than 100 people engaged; Affected population and impact: No fire-related deaths or injuries have been confirmed in BiH in available reporting. Impact has primarily manifested as property damage (partial destruction of homes in Drvar, Prozor-Rama and Bileća municipalities) and disruption to daily life in affected rural communities, several of which have mobilised residents alongside firefighters to defend homes. Air quality in Sarajevo has fluctuated between “Good” and “Moderate” (AQI (US) 38–75) over recent days, with localised readings reaching “Unhealthy” levels for PM10, posing a heightened risk to residents with pre-existing respiratory or cardiac conditions across the broader Sarajevo Canton population (413, 593 per the 2013 census). Municipalities directly affected by active fires or immediate fire threat have a combined population in the tens of thousands (see population breakdown provided separately), though the number of people within the immediate fire-risk zone (specific villages/hamlets) is considerably smaller than total municipal populations. Response operations involve the Armed Forces of BiH (helicopters and ground personnel), professional and volunteer firefighting units, forestry management companies (Sarajevo-šume, Prenj, Borja, Lisina), Mountain Rescue Service teams, police aviation units (RS MUP), and — for the most severe fires near the Croatian border — regional aerial support including a Croatian Canadair CL-415 aircraft. Request For Assistance Government Requests International Assistance: Yes NS Requests International Assistance: No Information Bulletin Published No Actions taken by RCRC Summary No need for now. Actions taken by National Society Summary For the time being, there has been no need for operational activities by Red Cross staff in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We continue to closely monitor the situation and will respond in a timely manner if needed, particularly considering the involvement of firefighting units and the reported destruction of residential houses. During the previous period, the Red Cross Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina (RCSBiH) published a social media awareness campaign to inform the public about how to stay safe and what actions to take if they find themselves in a wildfire-affected area. In addition, RCSBiH reached out to Šume BiH to initiate a meeting aimed at discussing future cooperation on reforestation activities in areas where this is feasible and needed. One of the main concerns remains the inaccessibility of affected areas in forested locations, where landmines are still present, significantly complicating firefighting and response efforts. Actions taken by Federation General Other Summary The Red Cross Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina (RCSBiH) remains in close communication with IFRC colleagues, and we continue to monitor the situation and developments on the ground. Actions taken by others The Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina have deployed military helicopters to support wildfire suppression operations. In Herzegovina, Croatia has been requested to provide aerial firefighting assistance with its available capacities. Similarly, in the Bihać area, additional support has been sought due to the scale of the wildfire affecting extensive forested areas.

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