Serbian blaze forces evacuations as Russian waterbomber arrives

A wildfire in a Serbian nature reserve has forced evacuations, with a Russian water-bombing aircraft providing assistance. Since early August, a fire has been raging through the Deliblatska Pescara forest reserve, located about 60km east of Belgrade. Temperatures soaring to 39°C have exacerbated the situation, prompting state broadcaster RTS to report that a small hamlet on the reserve's edge was evacuated due to strong winds carrying the flames toward homes.

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic acknowledged the ongoing challenges, noting no damage reports thus far. The Russian Ilyushin aircraft, capable of carrying 42,000 liters of water, arrived in Belgrade late Wednesday after Serbia requested assistance, as heatwave conditions returned to the Balkans and reignited a series of fires across the region.

Despite multiple water drops from the aircraft, Dacic emphasized that the fire remained perilous. The intense heat, sand, and extreme temperatures have obscured the gravity of the situation among the public. Warnings for extreme conditions have been issued across most of the Balkans, as authorities warn of the return of sweltering heat that has swept across Europe this summer.

In neighboring Bosnia, firefighters are battling large blazes in the mountainous northwest region, hampered by the lingering threat of landmines left from the country's 1990s war.