Negotino, 18 July 2024 (MIA) — President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova visited Thursday army members who are helping put out the huge fire on Serta mountain at Kalanjevo near Negotino.

"The President, as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, is where the military personnel are," Siljanovska Davkova said, expressing her confidence in their ability to rise to the task.

During her visit, she met with Crisis Management Center head Stojanche Angelov, who briefed her on the ongoing activities to contain the wildfires.

At the request of the CMC, which is coordinating all firefighting efforts, Siljanovska Davkova earlier in the day had issued an order for additional 200 troops to be deployed at the fire locations across the country.

The total number of army members battling the blazes has now climbed to 300.

CMC head Angelov said bringing the Serta mountain fire under control was hampered by winds changing directions and an extremely inaccessible terrain.

Two police helicopters and a Montenegrin helicopter are extinguishing the fire near the village of Kalanjevo on Serta mountain, Angelov said.

Three Air Tractor aircraft and a Croatian Canadair are trying to put out the fire at Rosoman near Kavadarci, and a Turkish and a Slovenian helicopter are operating from Gevgelija's Negorci toward Kozhuf mountain.

"Unfortunately, there are still hot spots where we need help from the air," the CMC head said, adding that the high temperatures prevented the helicopters from being able to fly over the fires.

"The helicopters are operational for military missions, but not for firefighting because the entire mountain is on fire. The temperature above the ground is very high," he said. 

Angelov stressed that the main priority was saving human lives, however, pointing out that at the moment there was no fire danger to any populated areas. mr/