The large-scale fire that swept through Himara on Friday has caused significant damage to homes and agricultural property. Himara Mayor Vangjel Tavo stated that municipal teams are on the ground to assess the damage and initiate compensation procedures.
In an interview for the show "Last Minute" on News24, with journalist Ola Bruko, Tavo said that the situation was serious, while the fire was contained thanks to the intervention of firefighting forces, structures of the Ministry of Interior, the Vlora Prefecture and other municipalities in the region.
The mayor also thanked the citizens of Himara for their commitment to fighting the flames. According to preliminary data, 6 apartments were damaged by the fire. Tavo explained that three of them were burned, while the other three were uninhabited. Only one of the apartments was inhabited at the time of the incident.
In addition to homes, significant damage has also been caused to olive groves, including old and centuries-old trees. The fire has also affected a bee park, where a resident had about 40 beehives. He stressed that the Municipality of Himara will use its funds to cover the costs of the damage. The final assessment of the damage is expected to be completed in the coming days, after field verifications.
"The situation was serious. The fire was of large proportions. It was dealt with with the intervention of the fire brigade, from the Vlora Prefecture, we received help from other municipalities of this region, the structures of the Ministry of Interior. Citizens of Himara also got involved, whom I would like to thank. Today we are on the ground to identify the damage caused by the fire on Friday. The final assessment will be released in the coming days, where 3 apartments were burned and 3 other apartments were burned, but were uninhabited. There is considerable damage to the olive groves, which were old, centuries old. The other damage is to a bee park, where one beekeeper had 40 beehives with bees. Then we will proceed with the method of repair and return of the apartments to their previous condition and compensation for those residents affected by the burning of the olive groves and orchards and that citizen who had beehives with bees. The Municipality of Himara has its own funds that cover the costs. No one will be left unscathed by this situation. The Municipality has the main weight and the opportunity to do this. Only one apartment was inhabited by people, the others were not. One family is in emigration, and another family lived within Himara. But we will compensate the residents to the last penny for the damages.
"Why did the fire break out in Himara? This is an issue that the police and the prosecution are dealing with. We do not have a final report and I cannot comment without an investigation into this case. I am not aware that it could be intentional. If a person sets a fire, there are two possibilities, either intentional or accidental," said Tavo.
