Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that Serbian firefighting equipment is better than some of the equipment sent by the European Union to fight forest fires in the country, BTA reports.
According to him, Serbia has very good firefighting equipment relative to the size of the country.
„When it comes to tools and equipment, we are a European giant. The helicopters we received from Europe for firefighting are weaker than ours, they have a lower load capacity than ours“, Vučić told RTS during a visit to the “Deliblatski pyasatsi“ nature reserve, where fires have been raging since the end of July.
EU sent helicopters and teams
Serbia activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, after which European teams and equipment arrived in the country.
Four rescEU Black Hawk helicopters are deployed in the area of the fires - two from the Czech Republic, one from Slovakia and one from Romania.
Vučić noted that the advantage of European countries is not so much in equipment, but in quick response and good coordination between countries.
According to him, no people died in the fires in Serbia and there are no buildings were destroyed, but three firefighters were put in danger after a firestorm passed over them.
The fire in Deliblat Sands remains difficult to control
The fire in Deliblat Sands continues to cause serious problems for firefighters due to the rugged terrain and constantly changing winds.
Romanian firefighter Oprian Ovidiu explained that access with heavy equipment is extremely difficult, and the fire is also spreading underground.
The Romanian team will remain in Serbia for at least ten days, and if necessary, the stay can be extended.
Germany also sent aid
International support for Serbia continues to expand. Germany sent a fire and rescue team of 56 people and 24 vehicles, which has already arrived in the country.
A Russian Il-76 aircraft, which arrived at Niš airport on August 19, is also involved in the extinguishing work.
Vučić said that Serbia initially requested help from Russia for the fire in Deliblat Sands, as specialists were looking for an aircraft with a larger payload capacity, which he said European countries did not have.
He stressed that both Russia and the European Union reacted quickly after Belgrade requested international assistance.