North Macedonia declares 30‑day fire‑risk crisis

North Macedonia 30‑day crisis fire risk Stoianche Angelov crisis headquarters

The government of North Macedonia announced a 30‑day state of emergency for fire risk across the entire country, effective 1 August 2026. The measure responds to an increased danger of open‑space and forest fires, with the aim of ensuring timely, coordinated and efficient action on the ground.

A main crisis headquarters at the Center for Crisis Management will be activated and hold continuous sessions. Within 24 hours it must draft an action plan covering prevention, resource assessment and coordinated response, mobilising all institutional capacities to protect lives, property and natural resources.

Stoianche Angelov, director of the Directorate for Protection and Rescue, warned that high temperatures, low humidity and wind create rapid fire spread. He urged citizens not to discard cigarette butts, light fires or use spark‑producing tools, and to report any suspicious activity to police or the emergency number 112. In July the country recorded an average of about 15 open‑space fires per day, all of which were extinguished thanks to timely interventions by fire crews and aerial support.

Entities: Center for Crisis Management · Directorate for Protection and Rescue · Directorate for Protection and Rescue (DZS) · Government of North Macedonia · North Macedonia · Open‑space fires · Republic of North Macedonia · Ruse · Stoianche Angelov · Stojanche Angelov · Valandovo

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 14 SOURCES] The crisis plan includes activation of the main crisis headquarters at the Center for Crisis Management, which must draft an action plan within 24 hours. (fa99e43a-9879-4648-937d-f0200956224a,81514135-30ec-47f4-8704-89b2e0ac0e10)
[● 11 SOURCES] The government of North Macedonia declared a 30‑day state of emergency for fire risk starting 1 August 2026. (All articles reporting the decision (fa99e43a, 81514135, e9ca0e0b, 42ffe50e, 21df4ed8, 4a867d7d, 98a4c499, 64864cc0, d23)
[● 2 SOURCES] A fire broke out at the municipal landfill in Valandovo and was contained using two emergency tractors and aerial support. (incident report)
[● 2 SOURCES] A separate fire occurred in the village of Udovo near Valandovo and was extinguished by fire crews. (incident report)
[● 14 SOURCES] The government mobilised institutional capacities to protect lives, property and natural resources. (fa99e43a-9879-4648-937d-f0200956224a,81514135-30ec-47f4-8704-89b2e0ac0e10)
[● 15 SOURCES] In July, an average of about 15 open‑space fires were recorded per day. (3cf8d65b-bb92-41b4-a44e-2e5d417aed8b,87e5ffe5-5ce8-404d-b4c6-26d7285f1ecf)
[● 15 SOURCES] Director Stoianche Angelov warned that high temperatures, low humidity and wind create rapid fire spread and urged citizens not to discard cigarettes, light fires, or use spark‑producing tools. (3cf8d65b-bb92-41b4-a44e-2e5d417aed8b,87e5ffe5-5ce8-404d-b4c6-26d7285f1ecf)
[● 2 SOURCES] The Directorate for Protection and Rescue deployed two “er‑tractors” to the Valandovo incident. (operational detail)
[● 13 SOURCES] The government of North Macedonia declared a 30‑day crisis state for fire risk starting 1 August 2026. (fa99e43a-9879-4648-937d-f0200956224a,81514135-30ec-47f4-8704-89b2e0ac0e10,42ffe50e-daed-437b-92d0-34c6c9668778,21df4ed8-)
[● 13 SOURCES] The crisis will last 30 days. (fa99e43a-9879-4648-937d-f0200956224a,81514135-30ec-47f4-8704-89b2e0ac0e10)
[● 13 SOURCES] The crisis covers the entire territory of North Macedonia. (fa99e43a-9879-4648-937d-f0200956224a,81514135-30ec-47f4-8704-89b2e0ac0e10)