site.btaNorth Macedonia Awaits EU Assistance as Wildfires Continue to Rage

The Republic of North Macedonia is expecting support through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to help combat ongoing wildfires across the country. A helicopter with a seven-member crew from the Czech Republic and 61 firefighters from Slovenia are set to arrive and assist national efforts.

As of Tuesday, four wildfires remain active in North Macedonia, with the international assistance expected to be deployed to the most severe blaze which is burning for over a week on Mount Goten. The fire there has spread across several kilometres.

At a news conference on Tuesday, Stojanche Angelov, the head of the Crisis Management Centre, urged citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour. According to authorities, while some of the fires appear to have been sparked by negligence, there is evidence suggesting that others were deliberately set.

In addition to the wildfires on Mount Goten and in the Maleshevo Mountains where coniferous forests, shrubs, and low vegetation are burning, firefighters are also battling a blaze near Prilep, along a former World War I frontline. Ongoing detonations from remnants of unexploded ordnance in the area have made firefighting operations particularly dangerous.

Wildfires also continue to burn in the municipalities of Makedonski Brod, Makedonska Kamenitsa, Caska, and Kicevo.