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Serbia accepts EU Black Hawk helicopters to combat wildfires
🇷🇸 Serbia /Disasters & Emergencies

Serbia accepts EU Black Hawk helicopters to combat wildfires

From N1 Serbia · () Serbian

Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Serbia has accepted four Black Hawk helicopters from the EU to help combat wildfires, primarily in the Deliblatska Peščara area.
  • The helicopters, with a total water-carrying capacity of 13 tons, come from strategic reserves managed by the European Commission.
  • Serbia activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism due to high temperatures and the ongoing fires, which have already burned 3,500 hectares.

Serbia has accepted a significant aid package from the European Union, including four Black Hawk helicopters, to bolster efforts against widespread wildfires. The helicopters, sourced from the EU's strategic reserves, will primarily be deployed to combat fires in the Deliblatska Peščara region, a protected sandy area known for its unique ecosystem.

Luka Čaušić, head of the Sector for Emergency Situations, confirmed that Serbia activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to receive this assistance. The offer includes four Black Hawk helicopters stationed in Romania, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, with water-carrying capacities ranging from 2.6 to 3.5 tons each, totaling approximately 13 tons. Additionally, Germany and Romania will provide firefighting teams and vehicles.

"On the proposal of the operational staff leading the firefighting operation in Deliblatska Peščara, and considering the announced extremely high temperatures in the coming period for the entire territory of our country, the Republic of Serbia activated the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism," Čaušić stated. The mechanism allows member states to request and receive assistance during emergencies.

The fires in Deliblatska Peščara have been raging for weeks, devastating an estimated 3,500 hectares of forest. The situation has been exacerbated by high temperatures and dry conditions. A Russian IL-76 aircraft, capable of carrying 42 tons of water, has also joined the firefighting efforts. Several nearby settlements have already been evacuated as a precautionary measure.

On the proposal of the operational staff leading the firefighting operation in Deliblatska Peščara, and considering the announced extremely high temperatures in the coming period for the entire territory of our country, the Republic of Serbia activated the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism.

— Luka ČaušićExplaining the activation of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism due to the severity of the wildfires and anticipated high temperatures.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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