The Hunedoara County Committee for Emergency Situations approved on Saturday an action plan to extinguish a forest fire in the Valea Buta area of Retezat National Park

On Saturday, the Hunedoara County Committee for Emergency Situations approved an action plan to coordinate the response to the forest fire in the Valea Buta area of Retezat National Park. The measures aim to contain and extinguish the fires, protect people and prevent the blaze from spreading.

The plan was approved during an extraordinary meeting convened by the county prefect, Széll Lörincz, at the proposal of the Hunedoara Emergency Situations Inspectorate leadership. Representatives of the Emergency Situations Inspectorate, the Retezat National Park Administration and the Forestry Directorate presented the situation on the ground and the actions already carried out.

Access to threatened areas may be restricted, while the authorities will identify hiking trails, shelters and other exposed sites. Information will be provided to people in the area, and the impact of the smoke on air quality will be monitored, including in cooperation with the Public Health Directorate.

The response will be supported by mixed teams consisting of at least five people per shift, with the possibility of increasing personnel numbers. Forestry staff will indicate access roads, water sources and areas at risk of the fire spreading. Two TAF machines, featuring all-wheel drive and articulated chassis, will be used to create an access corridor to the affected area. Other tractors and machines may be mobilized for transport and access clearance.

The authorities are considering using Salvamont drones, including thermal-imaging drones, to locate the fires and monitor hard-to-reach areas. Depending on how the fire develops, aerial firefighting support may also be requested, along with assistance from neighboring counties. During the night, monitoring will be carried out by forestry district teams, and any flare-ups will be reported immediately.