There was a fire at Medjugorje's pilgrimage destination it was ablaze on Saturday, July 27th. The fire was extinguished and access for pilgrims was closed for a short period.
As a result of persistent heat and drought, a fire broke out on Saturday morning on the Cross Mountain (Kricevac) in the pilgrimage site of Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Local media showed pictures and video recordings of the firebreak near the famous cross as well as firefighters' operations on the 520-meter-high mountain, which is a popular pilgrimage destination and photo subject. According to local information, the fire was extinguished on Sunday morning, but access to the mountain for pilgrims remained closed on Sunday.
The firefighting work proved difficult because the mountain is difficult to access and the rocky path to the top cannot be negotiated by vehicles. According to reports, the firefighters had to carry all the equipment to the fire site themselves. Several tankers and a firefighting helicopter were deployed. In the area around the nearby city of Mostar, there were several firefighting operations at the same time as a result of fires.
The Hill of Crosses in Medjugorje was a destination for pilgrims from the region long before the reports of Marian apparitions began in 1981. The white, ten-meter-high concrete cross was erected by parishioners in 1933 to mark the 1,900th anniversary of Jesus' crucifixion, and at the intersection of the crossbeams contains relics of the Cross of Christ, which were donated by the Vatican for the occasion.
The fire broke out just a few days before the start of the youth festival Mladifest, which is considered the highlight of the year in Medjugorje. Several tens of thousands of young people from all over Europe - including several hundred from Austria - and over 500 priests are expected to attend the week-long youth meeting that begins on Thursday, August 1. The closing mass of the meeting will traditionally take place on the Kreuzberg.
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