PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — A Polish citizen has been detained in Montenegro on suspicion that he started a fire that engulfed forests and reached near houses in a southern area along the Adriatic coast.

Police say the man detained on Wednesday near the coastal town of Bar faces charges of endangering the public. The Polish citizen reportedly initially set a small fire on Tuesday to signal that he was lost but the fire quickly spread to an entire area.

State TV reported that a group of Montenegrin hunters rescued the man from the forests around Bar late on Tuesday.

Authorities say that firefighters have battled the raging fire throughout the night, while the situation remains serious. They have urged local residents to cut the shrubbery on their land to help stop the fire from spreading.

Both Montenegro and neighboring Croatia have faced dozens of forest fires during an exceptionally hot summer this year.