The amount of terrain scorched in Croatia by wildfires so far this year has jumped dramatically, a local official said Saturday, as firefighters in many countries prepare for what is shaping up to be a challenging season.The opening four months of this year saw some 5,060 hectares (12,500 acres) of land ravaged, around a 70 percent increase on the same period last year, Croatian fire department head Slavko Tucakovic said, according to the Hina news agency.
"Since the start of the year, we have recorded a 20 percent increase in the number of fires," he said.
The world generally could face a year of especially severe wildfires, fuelled by climate change and a potentially strong El Nino weather phenomenon, researchers at Imperial College London and the World Weather Attribution network of climate scientists warned early this week.
Croatia, which saw two wildfire deaths last year and 18 people injured, eight of them firefighters, generally sees a spike in blazes between June and September, primarily along its Adriatic coastline.
