International Firefighting Forces Join Serbia in Battle Against Severe Wildfires

Serbia turned to international assistance to combat severe wildfires threatening protected nature reserves and mountainous regions. Helicopters and firefighters from European Union countries, including the Czech Republic and Romania, joined Serbian teams to contain a massive blaze burning for weeks in Deliblatska Pescara, a protected nature reserve near the capital, Belgrade.

Operations continued into Monday as state media reported that a separate fire in the southwestern Stolovi mountain range was brought under control with the aid of a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 water-bombing aircraft. State broadcaster RTS noted that a combined 168 tonnes of water have been dropped on the two active fire zones, with 126 tonnes in Deliblatska Pescara and 42 tonnes in Stolovi.

Serbia’s Interior Minister, Ivica Dacic, characterized the situation as extremely difficult, with over 400 personnel deployed daily to the affected areas. President Aleksandar Vucic explained that Belgrade sought external support from both the EU and Russia once domestic resources proved insufficient.

Although Serbia is not an EU member, it is eligible to request aid through the bloc’s Civil Protection Mechanism. The EU's emergency response incorporates four Black Hawk helicopters provided by Romania, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, alongside specialized firefighter teams and vehicles from Germany and Romania.

The regional wildfire crisis has been exacerbated by an unusually hot and dry summer across the Balkans. Additional fires have also affected neighboring areas, including North Macedonia and a cross-border blaze between Bosnia and Croatia that forced the temporary closure of major roadways and the evacuation of local villages.