Wildfire near Zelenikovo approached homes; residents and firefighters averted disaster

A large wildfire broke out last night near the village of Zelenikovo and moved close enough to threaten nearby homes, the director of the Directorate for Protection and Rescue, Stojanche Angelov, said. He reported receiving urgent calls from frightened residents whose houses were in danger of burning.

"I immediately called the duty firefighter in Skopje. The phone rang only once and I already heard his voice on the other end. I informed him that there was probably a dangerous fire in Zelenikovo, after which he immediately told me that they already knew and that their vehicle from the Dracevo station had set off urgently to the indicated location," Angelov said.

Angelov said he also went straight to Zelenikovo, despite being on the road through the Jasen hunting ground, because he had been returning from Makedonski Brod where final arrangements had been made for firefighting efforts planned for the day. The ongoing blaze is active on high, difficult-to-access, rocky terrain, complicating suppression work.

Local response and firefighting effort

Officials say that crews from the Dracevo station reached the scene quickly. Local residents joined the response, working alongside firefighters to protect properties and prevent the fire from spreading into the settlement.

No official report of casualties has been released so far; authorities are focusing on containment and on keeping people away from the danger zone while monitoring hotspots. Firefighters continue to patrol the area and coordinate with local volunteers to secure the perimeter.

Photo: press material from the event