Serbia fines residents who roast peppers on balconies and in basements
Municipal inspections in Belgrade and other cities issued heavy fines after neighbours reported smoke and open flames, and several fires were recorded.
Residents roasting peppers for ajvar on balconies, in courtyards and even in basement rooms have lately faced heavy fines in Serbia after calls from neighbours and inspections by municipal authorities. Reports say penalties have reached as high as several thousand euros and that fires were also recorded.
More than ten reports in a single weekend
During one recent weekend municipal services in Belgrade and other cities registered more than 10 reports from upset neighbours. In many cases people set up grills and small fires on balconies or in the back of apartment blocks; some attempted to roast peppers in basement spaces to avoid smoke in their flats.
Because of open flames and smoke, inspectors issued fines that in some instances were steep. For individuals in Serbia the fines range from 50 to over 200 euros, depending on location and the nature of the offence, while legal entities and businesses can face penalties up to 1.300 euros for unauthorised fires on public surfaces or inside buildings. Authorities also reported several incidents that required fire brigade intervention.
Inspectors and emergency teams warn that sparks and smoke from improvised grills on higher floors can quickly lead to dangerous fires. One of the cases on record involved a blaze that started after peppers were being roasted in a basement, prompting the fire service to extinguish the flames.
Many people without country houses or relatives in villages try to prepare traditional ajvar in their city apartments. But local regulations strictly forbid open flames and the use of charcoal or wood stoves on balconies, communal areas and basements because of the fire risk and nuisance from smoke.
In neighbouring Macedonia the practice of roasting peppers on terraces or in public spaces near apartment buildings is also common each autumn. The Law on Maintenance of Municipal Order and rules for house conduct in residential buildings prohibit lighting fires in open areas such as terraces, enclosed yards of buildings or on sidewalks. Municipal communal inspectors and environmental inspectors may impose fines for lighting fires on public surfaces (which are stated to range from 50 to hundreds of euros in denar equivalent), and if a building’s safety is endangered police and fire units may be called to intervene.
Fire departments annually urge citizens not to use improvised stoves or grills on balconies and in basements because even small sparks or smoke can ignite fires on upper floors.
Photo: Ilustracija (AI)
