Skopje, 16 August 2021 (MIA) — Two helicopters, one Macedonian, one Montenegrin, are putting out the Saraj fire near the villages of Raovikj and Bukovikj, according to Crisis Management Center’s Nadica V’chkova on Monday afternoon. “The fire near the village of Raovikj is partly under control but it is still burning between Bukovikj and the village of Chajlane toward Matka,” V’chkova said, adding that 26 members of the Air Brigade would be battling the blazes from the air using one Macedonian army helicopter and one Montenegrin helicopter. She told reporters the fire near ​​the villages of Rakle, Nikodin and Toplica in the Prilep Municipality was settling down. “The fire is inaccessible, and what's burning is dry grass and fallen leaves,” V’chkova pointed out. Local authorities were keeping the fire from spreading, she said. She also said the fire near the village of Bezgashtevo between Berovo and Strumica was burning again toward the village of Nivichani at the Turija dam. Teams would be sent to tame the flames early on Tuesday morning, she added, because the fire was in a difficult terrain and it would take firefighters over three hours to reach it. “The fire near ​​the village of Barovo in Demir Kapija has already been brought under control, although some hotspots remain,” V'chkova said. She noted the wildfires across the country, in most cases, had been started by people, either recklessly or deliberately. To prevent arson and detain any perpetrators, the Ministry of Interior had deployed over 600 police officers, including special police extinguishing the fires with a police helicopter, V'chkova said. mr/