Serbian Interior Ministry deployed helicopters on Wednesday to battle a major wildfire sweeping through the Deliblatska Pescara nature reserve in Vojvodina, northeastern Serbia, as flames spread across more than 300 hectares and continued to advance at the time of publication.
Footage shows helicopter crews dumping buckets of water onto the flames as thick smoke billows into the sky and scorched vegetation stretches across the reserve.
Authorities said the fire erupted about a kilometre from the site of a major blaze extinguished on July 22. More than 80 firefighters, volunteer crews and multiple helicopter units were deployed to contain the flames, according to Emergency Situations Sector chief Luka Causic.
Causic also warned that soaring temperatures have heightened the risk of wildfires, urging people not to light fires outdoors after a man died near Pozarevac in a blaze authorities said he started.
The Deliblatska Pescara reserve, often described as Europe’s largest continental sand terrain, is one of Serbia’s most important protected natural areas, home to rare plant and animal species.
The fire comes as Serbia faces a severe wildfire season driven by prolonged heat and drought, prompting authorities to step up emergency response measures across the country.
The crisis also reflects wider conditions across Central and Southern Europe, where extreme temperatures and prolonged dry weather have fuelled wildfires in several countries. Drought has also pushed the Danube to unusually low levels, disrupting river traffic and reducing hydropower generation across parts of the region.
Source: Viory
