Wildfires Near Rudna Glava and Golubinje Contained

Serbia’s Sector for Emergency Situations, part of the Ministry of Interior, announced on the evening of September 8, around 11:45 p.m., that two open air wildfires in the Majdanpek municipality, one in the fields near the village of Rudna Glava and another close to Golubinje, have been contained. No one was killed or injured in either fire.

We reported on the Rudna Glava fire while it was still burning on its third day and while a state of emergency was in effect in the municipality. According to the tally now released by the Interior Ministry, the fire broke out on September 3 and mainly burned low vegetation, though in several spots it also reached mixed deciduous forest.

More than 60 firefighters and rescuers from Majdanpek, Bor, Zajecar, Pozarevac and Donji Milanovac took part in putting it out, using 24 vehicles. They were assisted by the Interior Ministry’s Helicopter Unit with two helicopters, members of the Mosna Volunteer Firefighting Society, employees of the Srbijasume public forestry company, the local government and residents. Four abandoned buildings burned down, while several households were saved along with their belongings.

The Golubinje fire broke out on September 6. It was put out by 11 firefighters and rescuers from Donji Milanovac and Bor using five vehicles, with help from employees of the Djerdap National Park and volunteer firefighting societies from Majdanpek and Kladovo.

Since the start of September alone, 40 fires have been recorded in the Bor administrative district, 36 of them in open areas. On the day the announcement was issued, 44 open air fires were active across Serbia, and since the start of August the country has recorded close to 6,000 fires, more than 5,000 of them outdoors. Because of the hot, dry weather that favors the spread of fire, the Sector for Emergency Situations issued an appeal to citizens:

“The Interior Ministry’s Sector for Emergency Situations calls on all our citizens to be responsible, obey the law and be very careful when using open flame, and to immediately notify the fire and rescue service on 193 if they spot a fire.”

Fires can be reported by calling 193.