Due to the critical situation with forest fires, Serbia does not have the resources to respond to requests for help from neighboring countries in the region. This was announced by the Serbian Ministry of Interior, quoted by RTS, BTA reports.
The country remains on high alert due to the high risk of fires, with the areas around Niš, Vranje, Priepole, Mali Zvornik, Užice and Kruševac being the most affected. In Vranje, where a state of emergency was declared, the situation is gradually stabilizing. There are no new outbreaks, and active fires are being extinguished, local media report.
The situation is particularly dire in the Pčina District, where fires have been raging for the seventh consecutive night. Both state and private forest areas are affected.
“Over the past three years, we have managed to plant about 100,000 acacia and black pine saplings. Unfortunately, this year the fire occurred again and all these young trees were destroyed. We will have to start afforestation from the beginning“, commented Nikola Novković, director of the Forestry Department in Vranje.
According to him, in 95% of cases, forest fires are caused by human negligence. The most common cause is the unintentional or accidental transfer of fire from agricultural areas to forest areas.