16.08.2021.

Slovenia helps North Macedonia to fight the wildfires

A unit of 51 Slovenian firefighters and members of the civil protection set off for the Berovo area in Northern Macedonia. It is expected that they will stay there for the next six days.

Of these, 43 are firefighters and 9 are members of the Civil Protection, who will ensure that firefighters in the field perform their duties safely and efficiently. This unit will replace the expedition that has been in Northern Macedonia since 6 August. The second expedition is expected to return to Slovenia on 17 August.

The situation with wildfires in Northern Macedonia remains serious. It burns practically in the same place where the first expedition went. The wind continues to change direction and the humidity in the atmosphere remains low, which maintains the conditions for the fire to spread, said Janez Bordon, head of intervention for the second expedition.

The fire is still active, and there is a huge recurrence of the fire, which can only prevent a sufficient number of firefighters and other forces who will be able to put out the fire. The Slovenian fire brigade continues to put out the largest hotbeds of fire, where it is most widespread and threatens villages and the population. Yesterday, the firefighters performed their work for twenty hours, practically all day, explained Marko Adamič, the operational manager of the second expedition.

Special vehicles for extinguishing fires in the natural environment remain in Northern Macedonia, only the team will change, as it is very long and hard work, which for the first unit lasts from August 5 for at least 12 hours a day in extremely difficult conditions. So far, there has been only one minor firefighter injury that occurred while repairing the fire truck.

Firefighters work in two teams. “When some are on fire area, others can rest in the meantime,” says Adamič, who emphasized the need to pay attention to the health and safety of firefighters. Slovenia faced similar fires in 2003 and 2006, except that they took place in a much smaller area. Such fires are extremely dangerous, as they are unpredictable, so the management of the expedition must study the behaviour of the fire extremely well and plan the area of ​​operation of firefighters on this basis.

The firefighters of this expedition come from the North Primorska region, namely: PGD Cerkno, PGD Tolmin, PGD Col, PGD Selo, PGD Sp. Idrija, PGD Kanal, PGD Dobrovo, PGD Šempeter, PGD Vipava, PGD Dornberk and Obalno-kraške regions, namely: PGD Postojna, PGD Sežana, PGD Komen, ZGRS Sežana, PGD Knežak, PGD Podgrad, PGD Pobegi-Čežarji, , PGD Hrvatini, PGD Izola and GB Koper.