In 2026, the first national declaration of high wildfire risk was issued on July 8th. Following temporary weather shifts, high wildfire risk was re-declared on July 30th for most Slovenian municipalities. Concurrently, the state declared a very high wildfire risk for a few exposed coastal municipalities; however, the Municipality of Ajdovščina was not initially included in this highest category.
The Municipality of Ajdovščina features a highly diverse topography, spanning mountainous areas, rolling hills, and low-lying plains. It also boasts an exceptionally high forest coverage, with forests blanketing nearly two-thirds (66%) of the municipality’s total area. Crucially, almost 60% of these forested areas fall under the “high” or “very high” wildfire risk categories. Due to escalating drought conditions and the onset of the Bora wind (burja)—a fierce wind specific to the Ajdovščina region—the municipality independently upgraded its status to a very high wildfire risk, effective August 4th. The Bora wind acts as a severe catalyst; it rapidly strips moisture from the soil and fuel beds, and in the event of an ignition, drastically accelerates the spread of fire. This national and local intervention period was officially lifted on August 21st, 2026.
Over the past decade, the trend of declaring very high wildfire risks in Slovenia and the Municipality of Ajdovščina has been rising sharply. This shift is a direct consequence of prolonged summer heatwaves, more severe drought patterns, and the overarching impacts of climate change.
Historically, the highest risk categories were confined to the narrow coastal belt of Slovenian Istria and the Karst region. Today, however, severe droughts cause high and very high wildfire risk zones to rapidly expand across the entire sub-Mediterranean region, Northern Primorska, and occasionally into parts of central and southeastern Slovenia.
With these challenges in mind, the Municipality of Ajdovščina aims to establish an efficient early wildfire detection system. By deploying specialized monitoring equipment across its diverse terrain, the municipality will capture dynamic, real-time data to enable rapid, well-coordinated, and effective responses during emergencies. Through these proactive measures, the municipality is strengthening the resilience of its natural environment and ensuring the sustainable protection of its rich biodiversity, local infrastructure, and human lives. Ultimately, these steps embody the core mission of the Wildfire CE project: pioneering localized, data-driven solutions that can serve as a blueprint for wildfire resilience across Central Europe.