Crisis Management Center director apologizes for using old California photo

Muhamed Ali, the director of the Crisis Management Center, issued an apology after posting a photo of a calf that he claimed was rescued by firefighters during a recent wildfire near the village of Paligrad on Kitka Mountain.

Journalists pointed out that the image used was actually from a 2020 wildfire in California, originally published by the American media outlet ‘Successful Farming’. The original photo documented a calf named Charlene being rescued in Milpitas, California, six years ago.

Ali apologized for the confusion, stating that the image was intended only as an illustration for the text, which he maintains describes a real event. He reiterated that Skopje firefighters successfully rescued a small calf from the burnt terrain during the recent fire, describing it as a ‘small victory’ amidst the difficult struggle against the flames.