Wildfires across Balkans cause chaos as European Union asked for more help

North Macedonia said it was seeking further assistance from the European Union

A firefighter stands by a fire while operating during a wildfire in the residential are of Stamata near Athens, Greece, 30 June 2024 (EPA)

North Macedonia said it was seeking further assistance from the European Union on Tuesday to combat wildfires that continue to burn out of control in heatwave temperatures.

The fire has now crossed the southern border into Greece.

“Unfortunately, new fires are constantly appearing due to the weather and strong winds that are causing us problems,” Stojanche Angelov, head of the country's Center for Crisis Management, said.

Large wildfires in parts of North Macedonia this week destroyed and damaged homes, forced evacuations and claimed the life of an elderly resident in a village some 60 kilometers (37 miles) east of the capital Skopje. Authorities said the man is believed to have died Monday of smoke inhalation.

One blaze crossed into Greece where two air tankers and a helicopter helped the firefighters hold back a fire from reaching a forest on the Greek banks of Lake Doiran which is shared by the two countries, authorities said.

Greece Wildfire (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Near Athens, firefighters contained a large blaze on the Greek island of Evia, helped by 13 water-dropping aircraft and six helicopters operating after first light on Tuesday. Two firefighters were being treated for burns.

Successive heat waves have helped trigger fires across the Balkan region and elsewhere in southern Europe, with several countries including Bulgaria and Albania currently receiving international firefighting assistance through an EU support system. A wildfire in western Albania was being held back Tuesday in the coastal area of Shengjin, some 70 kilometers (45 miles) northwest of the capital of Tirana.

Fire chief Arben Cara said military assistance had been requested to provide water-dropping helicopters, while soldiers and firefighters from other parts of the country were also helping.

Fueled by strong winds and high temperatures, a fire in central Croatia forced dozens of people to evacuate their homes near the small town of Skradin.

In neighboring Bosnia, a fire in a remote, mountainous area near the central town of Olovo spread, threatening a local landfill, according to local media reports. Firefighters in the south of the country, controlled a fire near the city of Mostar that came close to business warehouses.