EU sends helicopters, firefighters to Serbia to tackle wildfires

The European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism sent helicopters and firefighters to help Serbia fight a massive wildfire in a nature reserve in the northeast of the country, the head of the EU mission to Belgrade said on Saturday.

Serbia activated the mechanism on Friday after struggling for weeks with a wildfire in Deliblatska Pescara, a unique mixture of sand dunes and woods about 80 km from the capital Belgrade, as well as other blazes in the southwest of the country.

“We stand with Serbia in protecting lives, livelihoods and the unique natural heritage of Deliblatska Sands,” Andreas Beckerath, the head of the EU mission to Belgrade, wrote on X.

Luka Causic, the head of the Serbian Department for Emergencies, said that European aid consists of four Black Hawk firefighting helicopters from Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, 55 firefighters and 24 vehicles from Germany, and 69 firefighters and 15 vehicles from Romania.

One helicopter from Romania and one from Slovakia joined firefighting efforts on Saturday, while two others from the Czech Republic will be engaged on Sunday, Serbia's Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Romanian firefighters and vehicles have also arrived in the town od Bela Crkva, near the fire. A German team is expected to arrive on August 24, it said.

Serbia is not a member of the EU but has access to emergency EU help under its Civil Protection Mechanism. ⁠

This summer, Belgrade sent a firefighting helicopter and emergency response team to help Spain combat wildfires after repeated blazes across Europe sapped EU resources.

A Russian Emergencies Ministry IL-76P firefighting plane landed in the southern Serbian city of Nis on Wednesday to tackle the Deliblatska Pescara wildfire, which has gutted thousands of hectares of pine forest since late July.

Causic said the situation was more stable on Saturday, but that strong winds were expected and the priority is to protect settlements and human lives.

Other major wildfires were also active in the rugged Stolovi mountain range in the southwest of the country.

In neighbouring North Macedonia, a major wildfire was raging in the municipality of Strumica, south of the capital Skopje. According to media reports, at least one house caught fire in the village of Sofilar.