The European Union dispatched helicopters and firefighting teams to Serbia on Saturday to assist in containing a large wildfire within a nature reserve. The deployment follows weeks of efforts by Serbian authorities to manage the blaze in the Deliblatska Pescara region, an area characterized by sand dunes and forests located approximately 50 miles from Belgrade.
Serbia, which is not an EU member state, requested assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on Friday. This request comes as the country manages multiple active fires, including blazes in the southwest Stolovi mountain range. Earlier in the week, a Russian Emergencies Ministry aircraft also arrived in the country to provide aerial support.
According to Luka Causic, head of the Serbian Department for Emergencies, the EU aid package includes four Black Hawk firefighting helicopters provided by Romania, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. The mission also involves 55 firefighters and 24 vehicles from Germany, along with 69 firefighters and 15 vehicles from Romania. The Serbian Interior Ministry confirmed that Romanian and Slovakian helicopters began operations Saturday, with Czech aircraft scheduled for Sunday.
For residents in areas like Bela Crkva and Grebenac, the arrival of foreign teams will be visible through the presence of German and Romanian emergency vehicles and increased aerial activity. The Serbian Department for Emergencies indicated that while the situation was more stable by Saturday, residents may still face risks from expected strong winds. These international resources are intended to bolster local efforts to prevent the fire from reaching settlements, a priority highlighted by Serbian officials.
The operation sets a precedent for cross-border cooperation through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, which allows non-member states to access a shared pool of emergency resources. This follows an earlier instance this summer where Serbia provided its own firefighting resources to help Spain. The German contingent is scheduled to arrive on August 24, while firefighting efforts in neighboring North Macedonia, where at least one house has burned, underscore the broader regional impact of current weather conditions.