Skopje, 21 July 2024 (MIA) — Nine wildfires are burning across the country and the Serta mountain fire has spread, according to Crisis Management Center head Stojanche Angelov in his latest video update.

A total of 150 army members, 30 police officers, and 40 employees of the Protection and Rescue Directorate are fighting the fires, helped by two Air Tractors from the Protection and Rescue Directorate, two police helicopters and two army helicopters.

Of the foreign aircraft, only the Montenegrin helicopter has remained to take part in the firefighting efforts, but it currently had a defect that was being serviced, Angelov said.

The fire in the municipality of Chashka above the villages of Gabreni, Mokreni and Bogomila has spread in a long line and two helicopters were sent to drop water on it earlier in the day while local firefighters, woodsmen, and 30 army members were battling the blazes on the ground.

Tackling the Lisec mountain fire in the municipality of Chashka are local firefighters and 25 army members.

According to Angelov, the Serta mountain fire has spread from a large hot spot above the village of Puhche toward the village of Selce. He said two Air Tractors would continue dropping water on the fire during the day.

Another hot spot of the Serta mountain fire is spreading from behind the Krivolak training ground and toward the Penush military shooting range and the Bregalnica river.

Angelov said firefighters were joined by dozens of special police officers and troops to prevent the fire from crossing over the NATO road surrounding Krivolak.

Yet another hot spot on Serta mountain is near the hunting grounds, and is being tackled by local firefighters.

The fire between the villages of Tazhevo and Breznica in the municipality of Makedonski Brod is also burning. An army helicopter deployed there earlier in the day could not fly over because of the thick smoke. The fire is being extinguished by local firefighters, woodsmen and 30 troops.

Thirty special police officers were fighting the forest fire near the village of Farish when two Air Tractors were sent to help. The aircraft, however, were diverted toward the Serta mountain fire hot spots opposite the village of Kalanjevo.

"A new fire has broken out in the municipality of Gevgelija, above the village of Mrzenci, where we will deploy the Air Tractors this afternoon to prevent the fire from spreading," Angelov said.

He added that the wildfire that erupted at Mukos in the municipality of Chashka on Saturday could only be accessed by air, because firefighers would need to walk 30 km on foot just to reach the fire. The police officer on duty at Solunska Glava had said there were three hot spots at Mukos and the fire was spreading toward the top of the mountain. mr/