European Union firefighters and helicopters, alongside a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 water-bombing aircraft, are helping Serbian teams battle major wildfires that have burned for weeks in the Deliblatska Pescara nature reserve near Belgrade and the southwestern Stolovi mountain range.
The operation continued into Monday, with more than 400 personnel deployed each day. Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Dacic described the situation as “extremely difficult,” according to the source reports.
What the international response includes
The EU deployment includes four Black Hawk helicopters from Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, as well as firefighters and vehicles from Germany and Romania. Some aircraft were already operating over the weekend, while the remaining deployment, including a German ground team, was due to arrive by Monday.
Serbia formally requested assistance on Friday after its authorities determined that national resources were insufficient. The country can seek support through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism even though it is not an EU member.
Water dropped on the fires
Serbian state broadcaster RTS reported that 168 tonnes of water had been dropped on the two fires: 126 tonnes over Deliblatska Pescara and 42 tonnes over Stolovi. RTS also reported that the separate Stolovi fire had been brought under control with help from the Russian aircraft.
Why Serbia sought outside help
President Aleksandar Vucic said Serbia turned to both the EU and Russia when its own firefighting resources were no longer enough. The EU’s mutual-aid system has also worked in the other direction this summer: Serbia sent a firefighting helicopter and response team to Spain earlier in the wildfire season.
Other fires are burning across the Balkans. In North Macedonia, a blaze near Strumica reportedly damaged at least one home. A separate fire between Bosnia and Croatia spread across 16km of difficult terrain, closing the main road between Trebinje and Dubrovnik and prompting evacuations from nearby villages.
- An unusually hot, dry summer has left much of the Balkans highly vulnerable to wildfires.
- Strong winds have made aerial firefighting difficult in some affected areas.
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