site.btaNorth Macedonia Battles Two Remaining Wildfires after Twenty Blazes Reported Tuesday

North Macedonia had two active wildfires on Wednesday, down from a total of 20 the previous day, the local Crisis Management Centre said. The fires were reported across the country, with only two remaining active on Wednesday.

One of the largest fires was near the village of Grciste in Valandovo Municipality, where flames threatened the first houses in the settlement on Tuesday. That blaze has since been brought under control, Kire Mihailov, Deputy Director of the National Forests Public Enterprise, wrote on his Facebook page.

Mihailov said two employees from the National Forests Public Enterprise were injured during firefighting operations on Tuesday.

As of Wednesday, according to the Crisis Management Centre, the two remaining active fires were located between the villages of Grciste and Marvinci, and in Bogdanci Municipality. The latter was affecting low vegetation and shrubs.

North Macedonia currently has three specialised firefighting aircraft, but only one is operational. A shortage of pilots remains a challenge after two were retired in 2023. However, both retired pilots returned to duty on Tuesday, having signed seasonal contracts for a second year to help combat summer wildfires, the Directorate for Protection and Rescue said.