Delchevo to deploy drones and video surveillance at critical fire points
Drone patrols, cameras and extra police will monitor fire-prone spots in the Delchevo area after a recent blaze that burned over 230 hectares.
The municipal crisis staff in Delchevo announced stepped-up measures to protect the Maleshevo–Pijanec area from wildfires during the long holiday weekend that includes the Assumption and Miners' Day. Authorities said frequent drone patrols, video surveillance at high-risk locations and an increased police presence will be deployed across the Pijanec zone.
At the crisis meeting officials decided that all institutions with authority to check identities and carry out field controls — Regional Center East, OVR-Delchevo (police station) and Macedonian Forests — will set up checkpoints to monitor movement inside the forests, the municipal statement said.
Recent fire raises alarm
The decision follows a large blaze a few days earlier in the area of the village of Bigla, where more than 230 hectares of pine and oak forest burned and private property was threatened. Authorities identified human activity as the cause of recent fires in the Delchevo area.
Municipal leaders also ordered a technical study: "I ordered that a study be prepared for installation of video surveillance at several locations in the territory of the Municipality of Delchevo, which will aim to monitor the movement of our fellow citizens and prevent both the occurrence of forest fires and the appearance of illegal dumps," Gocevski said.
In addition to surveillance and patrols, the Municipality of Delchevo will open a donor account to raise funds for purchasing additional firefighting equipment and vehicles. Officials urged residents to be cautious in and around forested areas during the holidays.
Photo: press material from the event
