Skopje, 20 August 2025 (MIA) - Efforts to battle the blaze in the Jasen hunting area continue on Wednesday. During the night, the fire approached a forest road leading from the entrance of the Jasen hunting area to a restaurant on the shore of Lake Kozjak, but fortunately, thanks to previously cleared land, it was prevented from spreading, said Protection and Rescue Directorate head, Stojanche Angelov.

He pointed out that last night's operation involved members of the Rapid Deployment Unit with Pinzgauer vehicles, Jasen hunting area staff, firefighters from Skopje and Makedonski Brod, as well as a crew from the Protection and Rescue Directorate, who joined forces to prevent the fire from crossing over the road. 

"A specific and risky operation began this morning to create a new fire line on a steep ridge that descends towards the lake, in order to completely contain the fire. Despite the thick smoke, one police helicopter and one army helicopter have been operating since the early morning hours, and an “Air Tractor” firefighting plane from the Protection and Rescue Directorate is expected to join in as soon as visibility clears," Angelov said.

He added that brave army and police members of the special forces "The Wolves" and "The Tigers", mostly mountaineers, are on the ground working in risky environment to clear the area and suppress the fire.

Several other fires are currently active across the country, mainly affecting grass and bushes.

Photo: Protection and Rescue Directorate