Life in Deliblatska Pescara Amidst Wildfires: Bags Packed, Hoses Ready for Renewed Fire Threat

Residents of the Deliblatska Pescara forest in Serbia live with the constant fear of renewed wildfires, struggling with smoke and the lingering threat of evacuation. "Night passes, but the day never ends" describes the 11 days of fire that ravaged the area, leaving locals like Slobodan Dukić anxious. "I'm constantly afraid it will happen again. It flares up somewhere every now and then," he told N1, explaining that hoses and water balloons are kept ready.

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I'm constantly afraid it will happen again. It flares up somewhere every now and then.

Firefighters and volunteers patrol the grounds tirelessly. Dukić and his wife haven't unpacked their suitcases since the initial evacuation in early August. "If they order an evacuation, a stampede... we are ready to take the most necessary things and run," Slobodan said. The fires have scorched sunflower and corn crops, leaving behind burnt fields and smoke. Residents in Dubovac speculate about human factors, while those in Šumarci point to systemic failures in forest management.

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If they order an evacuation, a stampede... we are ready to take the most necessary things and run.

"If those responsible for managing the Pescara had done their job properly, I think the damage would have been less," Slobodan believes. The full extent of the damage remains unassessed, with initial estimates from JP "Vojvodinašume" to be made only after the last spark is extinguished. A recovery plan will follow. Reforestation will focus on mixed and deciduous trees, which pose a lower fire risk, and the forest itself will need five to seven years to recover.

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If those responsible for managing the Pescara had done their job properly, I think the damage would have been less.