Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski assured the public that there are sufficient firefighters and members of the Army and Ministry of the Interior to manage the fires, despite them being at a historic peak. Just yesterday, 66 active outdoor fires were reported, 40 of which were successfully extinguished. “Given the upcoming temperatures, we will continue to face such challenges in August. I do not anticipate significant changes,” Mickoski stated today after signing a franchise agreement between Tikvesh Invest and the Holiday Inn hotel in Kavadarci.

In response to a journalist’s question about accusations from the SDSM regarding the fires, Mickoski declined to comment on political parties with what he termed “necrophilic intentions.”

“The government I lead started working on June 24. The first serious fire on Mount Serta occurred on July 10, just 17 days after I took office. The helicopters used in such crises were undergoing maintenance, the airplanes were grounded due to malfunctions, and the pilots were retired. We began fighting the fire with support from local governments, municipalities, and volunteers. Eventually, the helicopters were deployed, technical interventions made the aircraft operational, and we re-contracted the retired pilots,” Mickoski explained.

He noted that a state of crisis was declared to manage the fires, and the European Mechanism for assistance in crisis situations was activated.

“With this activation, aid arrived from Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Turkey, and Romania, helping us to initially contain the fires. The battle against the flames continues not just here but across Europe,” he added.

Mickoski highlighted that yesterday marked an unprecedented number of outdoor fires—66—and informed that, according to the Ministry of the Interior, there is substantial evidence suggesting that many of these fires were caused by negligence and deliberate acts.

“We will continue the fight. We have reactivated the European Mechanism for support in crisis situations. The Czech Republic is sending a helicopter today, Serbia another, and Hungary will send four SUVs for inaccessible areas. Slovenia and Germany are also contributing with additional aircraft. I can state that the situation is now fully or partially under control,” Mickoski concluded.