Serbia battles major wildfires as EU civil protection mechanism is activated
Belgrade requested international aid, including an Il-76 from Russia; thick smoke reached Timișoara and earlier affected Bulgaria.
Serbia is fighting widespread wildfires and has activated the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism as the smoke has spread across borders to neighbouring countries.
Ivica Dacic said that, because of the “extremely difficult” situation with the fires, Belgrade has turned to the EU mechanism for assistance and has also requested help from Russia, including the large firefighting aircraft Il-76.
The hardest-hit area is the Deliblatska Peščara reserve (Deliblato Sands), where Dacic reported that in places heavy machinery cannot reach the flames because of the sandy terrain, complicating suppression work and forcing crews to rely on aerial and manual firefighting measures.
Cross-border smoke, local warnings
Thick smoke from the blazes reached the Romanian city of Timișoara, where local authorities advised residents to stay indoors. Romanian emergency services received dozens of calls to the emergency number 112 reporting a strong smell of smoke in Timișoara and surrounding counties.
Earlier reports said smoke from the fires had also reached Bulgarian territory, prompting complaints there as well. Photos and footage of the burning Deliblatska Peščara circulated on social media, illustrating the scale of the outbreak.
Serbian authorities continue to coordinate national and international resources to contain the fires, citing difficult terrain and extreme conditions as the main obstacles to extinguishing multiple hotspots.
Photo: press material from the event
