With summer season in full swing and the threat of forest fires high, Macedonia is left with only one pilot who can operate the Air Tractor planes.

The DZS emergency response directorate has two planes for putting out forest fires, but needs at least two additional pilots to put them to use in case of emergency. But the low salaries of just 72,000 denars (1,200 EUR) for the complex and often dangerous task have prompted pilots to leave DZS.

An additional problem is that the pilots need to complete a training program in Spain or other authorized country, and out of five recent candidates, only one completed it.