Serbia Battles 33 Wildfires, Emergency Staff Meets Thursday
The Republic Emergency Situations Staff meets Thursday to review Serbia's wildfire situation and possible new measures, after the government reported 33 active outdoor fires.
Thirty three wildfires are currently burning in open areas across Serbia, the government announced on Wednesday evening, and the Republic Emergency Situations Staff meets today to review the situation caused by the unfavorable weather and decide on any new measures. Prime Minister Djuro Macut announced the session, saying the ongoing heat wave demands constant vigilance from every authority involved and close coordination to prevent further damage.
The most demanding fires are burning in the Deliblato Sands, on Stolovi mountain near Kraljevo, and in the village of Breznica in the Bujanovac municipality. In the Sands, flames have spread across more than 2,000 hectares, on Stolovi around 200 hectares, and near Bujanovac more than 200 hectares.
Who Is on the Ground
More than 300 members of the Emergency Situations Sector, the Serbian Armed Forces, employees of “Vojvodinasume” and “Srbijavode,” volunteer firefighting societies and the Serbian-Russian Humanitarian Center are fighting the fire in the Deliblato Sands, backed by three Interior Ministry (MUP) helicopters. Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, who also commands the Republic Staff, said after touring the site that the figure stood at 340 people and that the hotspots in the Sands had been reduced to three.
On Stolovi, around 90 firefighter-rescuers, workers from “Srbijasume” and “Koridori Srbije,” members of volunteer firefighting societies, representatives of the Faculty of Forestry and local residents are on the ground, with one Serbian Armed Forces helicopter operating from the air. The terrain has no access roads. Dacic said that of the four to five fires that had been active there, only one hotspot remains.
Rain fell over part of the Deliblato Sands. The settlement of Sumarak, which had been the focus of concern in recent days, is now safe, and crews are working to widen firebreaks toward Kajtasovo, Grebenac and the settlement of Susara.
Why Is the Bujanovac Fire a Special Problem?
Breznica lies in the Ground Safety Zone, close to the administrative line, an area where unexploded ordnance left over from the past poses a danger and limits what crews can do on the ground. Emergency Situations Sector chief Luka Causic explained that this, together with the safety of personnel, is why protective measures are being taken for the surrounding settlements and households, which are not currently endangered.
“Our forces are ready to provide the necessary support on the ground as soon as security conditions allow it,” Causic said.
He stressed that, at this point, the most important thing is that no houses are endangered.
What the Staff Has Already Decided
The Emergency Situations Sector is continuously monitoring the situation and adjusting measures as it develops, within its own remit. At a Staff session in early August, a decision was adopted to form a dedicated department within the Interior Ministry for the protection of critical infrastructure during emergencies, a move that shifts the response from campaign-style firefighting toward a more permanent organization.
The sessions are also attended, alongside Dacic and Causic, by ministers Adrijana Mesarovic, Aleksandra Sofronijevic, Nemanja Starovic, Boris Bratina and Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic, as well as by Provincial Government President Maja Gojkovic.
Work on the water side is proceeding in parallel. The company “Vode Vojvodine” has continued efforts to normalize operations at the “Bezdan” and “Bogojevo” pumping stations, while a rise in the Danube’s water level has helped push the level of the Danube-Tisa-Danube hydrosystem slightly higher.
Who Fights Fires When There Aren’t Enough Professionals
The makeup of the crews on the largest fires shows where the bottleneck lies. Serbian News has previously reported that Serbia has one firefighter for every 1,865 residents and that its fire and rescue units are short around 3,000 people. That is why soldiers, forestry workers, volunteer firefighting societies and local residents are working alongside professional crews on the ground.
The heat wave is forecast to continue in the coming period, so today’s Staff session is also expected to put concrete measures for the days ahead on the agenda.
