Türkiye’s Bayraktar TB2 drone helps bring Albania wildfire under control

A wildfire threatening residential areas in the central Albanian city of Kruja was brought under control Sunday following firefighting efforts that included Türkiye’s Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicle.

Several fires broke out across Albania in recent days, including a major blaze in and around the mountainous city of Kruja near the capital, Tirana.

Firefighting operations continued through the night in Kruja, involving around 300 personnel from the Armed Forces, civil emergency response units and the Fire Service.

Authorities said aerial firefighting operations were also carried out in the area.

The operation involved 21 fire engines from the National Civil Protection Agency, three helicopters, one Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicle and two thermal-imaging UAVs.

Some residents were evacuated from settlements affected by the fire.

Following the containment of the blaze, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said in a post on US social media platform X that one warehouse had burned down and no residents had been injured.

“During the extraordinary battle against the fire on Mount Kruja, aerial firefighting equipment was used throughout the night due to the wind. Our firefighters, military, and police units fought heroically and with outstanding professionalism, preventing a tragic outcome, as has happened in other European countries during these scorching summer months," Rama said.

Interior Minister Besfort Lamallari monitored the firefighting efforts at the scene.

Lamallari told reporters the fire had not been caused by natural factors but by human activity, adding that police have detained a suspect.

According to a statement from Albania’s Institute of Geological Sciences, some cities remain at “high” risk of wildfires on Sunday.