Fire Near Vlasotince Burns Pine Forest, Four Houses
Flames in Gornja Lopusnja near Vlasotince burned three hectares of pine forest and four houses, spreading toward the village cemetery. The Leskovac Police Department said the fire was extinguished.
A fire broke out yesterday around 1 p.m. in the village of Gornja Lopusnja, in the municipality of Vlasotince, and spread across roughly three hectares of pine forest on the village’s outskirts. The Leskovac Police Department confirmed the fire to the Beta news agency.
Firefighting crews were dispatched to the scene immediately, but the first hours of the operation were marked by difficult conditions. Only firefighters from Leskovac fought the blaze, since the terrain was hard to access. Police also said communication with colleagues on the ground was difficult, which meant authorities could not confirm even the exact number of houses affected in the early hours.
According to local residents, the flames spread toward the village cemetery, and four houses were caught in the fire. Unofficial information indicates these were old, abandoned buildings. No injuries or deaths were reported.
As the situation on the ground remained uncertain, residents were also called on to help. An informal group of students from Vlasotince appealed on their Instagram profile for additional firefighters and volunteer fire brigades, as well as for locals to bring shovels, water pumps, protective gear and first aid supplies.
“The fire continues to grow and is swallowing the village. The terrain is inaccessible, and as many people as possible are needed to bring the fire under control,” the students said in their appeal.
By the end of the evening, the situation had changed. The Leskovac Police Department announced that the fire had been brought under control.
“Firefighters have brought the fire under control, and it has been completely extinguished,” police said in a statement. Earlier the same day, explaining why the extent of the damage could not be confirmed right away, the same department said that “communication with colleagues on the ground is difficult.”
Even after the fire was put out, firefighters remained on site overnight because of the risk it could flare up again.
The fire near Vlasotince is one of several hot spots recorded across Serbia in recent days. We previously reported that fires on Stolovi and on Goc had been localized, while the number of active fires in the country still stood at close to twenty.
