Tetovo firefighters extinguish an average of 11 fires daily; 628 interventions registered this year

In the Tetovo Region there have been no large-scale fires this summer, but that does not mean the firefighters have no work: teams extinguish an average of 11 fires daily, and since the beginning of the year 628 interventions have been registered, most of which are fires in open areas or in buildings.

Firefighters say the workload is heavy and that teams work non‑stop: about ten interventions are recorded daily, and there have been days with 17 fires. Most calls are for fires in open areas and for burning structures, which keeps the teams constantly on alert.

Most critical in Tearce

"The situation at the moment is very critical. It is known that we have high temperatures and that causes many fires. Daily, on average, we have 11 fires, but there were days when we had as many as 17 fires in one day. If the high temperatures continue, as the forecasts say, there will continue to be a danger of new fires and in greater numbers," says the commander of the Territorial Firefighting Unit of Tetovo, Avni Ameti.

Commanders point out that the most critical area in the Tetovo Region is the Municipality of Tearce. Here, fires in open areas caused by stubble burning occur most frequently; these represent a significant share of daily interventions and pose a constant threat to settlements and agricultural land.

A positive development this year is the opening of a new firefighting unit in Tearce, which has significantly reduced response times and allowed teams to reach incident sites faster. However, given forecasts for continued high temperatures, authorities warn that the risk of new and larger fires remains high.

Photo: TPPE Tetovo