House saved in Luzat, Tepelenë; Minister Vengu monitors firefighting efforts

Published: Wednesday, 31 July 2024 11:08

120 military personnel from the Albanian Armed Forces, along with the Tepelenë Municipality's firefighting teams equipped with necessary tools and supported by an AAF helicopter, have been engaged in the effort to extinguish the fire in the village of Luzat, Tepelenë Municipality. The strong winds rapidly spread the flames over a vegetated area. The immediate intervention by the forces successfully prevented the risk to one of the houses.



The situation was closely monitored by the Defence Minister Pirro Vengu, accompanied by the Prefect of Gjirokastër, Odise Kote and the Commander of the Land Force, Major General Ilir Xhebexhia. While outlining the situation, Minister Vengu stated that cooperation from local residents had also been sought in case partial evacuations were necessary: "At one point, we faced difficulties in containing the flames that approached unexpectedly, but we managed to minimize the damage. We also intervened with a helicopter to ensure better coverage of the situation. In Luzat, an enormous job was done, and the houses at risk were saved. The residents in this village have also done a great job maintaining their land, which has facilitated the work and efforts of the Armed Forces to intervene and gain access." emphasized Minister Vengu.



One of the villagers expressed gratitude to the personnel involved in the action: "The forces were numerous and overcame the flames. They saved my house and the garden I have cultivated. I had taken precautions by creating a firebreak around my plot, which is planted with various types of trees, but I was still scared."- the villager said.
Meanwhile, operational forces remain on the ground, continuing efforts to fully extinguish all hotspots in the area.