Knjaževac area arrests following negligent fires

Authorities in Serbia have arrested two men in connection with separate fires caused by negligence near Knjaževac.

A 65-year-old man from Knjaževac has confessed to causing a fire near Bovansko Lake near Aleksinac. The incident occurred on August 15 while the individual was using a handheld angle grinder to cut metal. Sparks from the tool ignited dry grass, which quickly spread to nearby forest areas and three weekend houses, damaging a terrace roof and an auxiliary building. He faces charges of causing public danger through negligence, which carries a potential prison sentence of up to three years.

In a separate incident, a 61-year-old man from the Knjaževac area was arrested for burning dry grass on his property. The fire spread to an adjacent plot, destroying a building, a vineyard, and various agricultural machinery, including a power tiller. The Zaječar Police Administration has warned citizens to exercise extreme caution with open flames during heatwaves to prevent similar incidents.