Serbia battles 12 wildfires, Deliblato Sands reserve worst hit

Serbia is currently contending with 12 active wildfires raging across the country, with the Deliblato Sands nature reserve facing the most critical situation. Luka Čaušić, head of the Internal Affairs Ministry’s Emergency Situations Sector, reported the ongoing blazes and warned that strong winds could exacerbate the problem throughout the weekend.

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The commander of Serbia’s fire and rescue services said on Thursday that 12 wildfires were still blazing across the country adding that the Deliblato Sands nature reserve was still the worst hit by fire.

The Deliblato Sands fire has been burning for weeks across a vast wooded area, prompting the Serbian government to seek international aid. Russia dispatched an Il-76 firefighting plane, while the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism deployed four Black Hawk helicopters to assist Serbian firefighters. Serbia's own Emergency Situations Sector has deployed two Kamov firefighting helicopters, alongside others.

Čaušić indicated that the wildfire situation on Mount Goc and Mount Stolovi is relatively stable and could potentially be contained during the day. The situation near the southern city of Vranje is also reported as stable. Despite these localized improvements, the overall environmental damage is described as significant.

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Strong winds could make the situation much worse over the weekend.

While firefighting aircraft from the state-owned JAT Agricultural Aviation company exist, only two are licensed to fly and have not been deployed. The military has also not contributed its aircraft to the firefighting efforts. The focus remains on managing the active fires, particularly in the Deliblato Sands, with the support of both domestic and international resources.

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The environmental damage is huge.