Shtip: Firefighters in North Macedonia are combating a dozen wildfires for a third consecutive day, fueled by strong winds and prolonged high temperatures. The intense heat and dry conditions have also sparked smaller fires across Greece and the Balkans, officials reported.
One major fire is spreading in the Negrevo municipality near the Bulgarian border, while another blaze is affecting the Kumanovo region near Serbia, according to Goran Stojanovski from North Macedonia’s Centre for Crisis Management. “Because of the high temperatures, the vegetation is dry and the soil is very hot, which is making our work more difficult,” Stojanovski stated.
Greece, North Macedonia’s southern neighbor, has long struggled with wildfires exacerbated by rising temperatures and sporadic rainfall, which scientists attribute to climate change. This week, the heat and lack of rain have also triggered a series of fires across the Balkans, with Spain facing similar challenges on the western side of mainland Europe.
In North Macedonia, roads, fields, and homes near the central town of Stip, located 100 kilometers (62 miles) east of the capital Skopje, were blanketed in smoke, a Reuters witness reported. The full extent of the damage remains unclear, but earlier fires have destroyed dozens of homes and claimed the life of an elderly man.
As of Wednesday, 12 of the 66 active fires from Tuesday were still uncontrolled. Assistance has come from neighboring Serbia, which sent a helicopter, and Germany and the Czech Republic have offered additional aircraft support.
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In Albania, the coastal tourist town of Shengjin was evacuated on Tuesday as fires approached, forcing tourists to leave urgently by car and bus. Although fires continued in Shengjin on Wednesday, they appeared to be under control, according to a Reuters witness.
In Croatia, firefighters have contained a blaze near the coastal town of Tucepi, as reported by local officials. Meanwhile, at the Greece-Bulgaria border, firefighters are using air support to manage a fire that has been burning low-lying vegetation since July 18. Due to land mines from past conflicts, ground crews are unable to access the area, said Greek fire service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis. Firefighters and local authorities have used diggers to create firebreaks around villages.
