Fires in Tetovo area and Mariovo: more than 20 houses and barns destroyed in Chanishte
Volunteers helped stop flames near a monastery in Tudenec; authorities issued an orange fire warning amid a heat wave.
More than 20 houses and barns burned in Chanishte in the Mariovo region, while four local residents sought medical help after inhaling smoke, authorities report. There is suspicion that the fire was set.
A separate fire threatened the monastery complex near Tudenec in the Tetovo area; with local firefighting crews stretched thin, volunteers from Skopje, Gostivar and Tetovo joined the effort. The Directorate for Protection and Rescue said those volunteers were crucial in preventing the flames from reaching the monastery.
Authorities raise the alarm
The Center for Crisis Management issued an orange warning because of the high risk of fires in open areas. "Due to these weather conditions, there is a high risk of occurrence and spread of fires in open areas and forest fires with high intensity across the entire territory of the Republic of North Macedonia. We call for special caution," the Center said.
Officials urged citizens not to light fires outdoors or near dry grass and forests, to avoid movement in high‑risk zones when possible, and to report any fire immediately by calling 112.
The country is also experiencing a heat wave with tropical temperatures. The Hydrometeorological Service warned that high temperatures are expected to continue in the coming days.
Authorities say the blazes that hit the country this week are being fought from the ground and the air, and that all available machinery has been mobilized to the affected areas.
Photo: press material from the event
