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2 clusters · 21 sources · 1 days · First seen · Last updated

Categories: INTERNATIONAL

Balkan wildfires August 2026

Entities: Deliblatska Peščara · Bar · Republic of Serbia · Ibarska klisura · Čapljina

Overview

On 5 August 2026 a series of forest fires erupted across the Balkans, with the most severe blaze near Leskovac, Serbia, spreading toward nearby villages and threatening homes. Authorities deployed fire‑and‑rescue units from several Serbian towns, added helicopter support in the steep Ibarska Klisura area, and issued public warnings. Simultaneously, smaller fires burned in Bosnia‑Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Slovakia, prompting cross‑border firefighting efforts.

Additional reports from the same day detailed further hotspots: flames near Leskovac advanced into the villages of Razgojna and Donja Lokosnica; an 80‑hectare fire burned near Kraljevo and about 150 hectares of forest remained ablaze in the Knjaževac‑Zaječar zone. A landfill fire in Bačka Palanka was declared a state of emergency, and a blaze at the Srem‑Mačva landfill near Jarak produced thick smoke over Sremska Mitrovica. In Bosnia‑Herzegovina, open‑air and landfill fires were recorded in the Herzegovina‑Neretva Canton, especially around Čapljina, Konjic and Kanjina. Macedonia reported a fire in Greshnica, Slovenia a forest fire near Slamnjak/Ilovcev, and Slovakia noted several district fires amid extreme dryness. Regional authorities issued an “extremely high” fire‑risk forecast for the next week and continued to mobilise municipal brigades, interior‑ministry emergency units and helicopters.

The following day, 6 August 2026, the focus shifted to Serbia’s Deliblatska Peščara, where a fire had consumed roughly 500 hectares. The national emergency staff reported 178 fires nationwide, with two still active, and coordinated water releases from the Danube system to aid suppression. Prime Minister Đuro Macut called an emergency meeting to consider further measures. In Montenegro, three active fires were reported in Bar, Cetinje and Kolašin, prompting the deployment of Air Tractor and Antonov aircraft, as well as Bell helicopters from the army. Both countries imposed bans on open‑flame activities and thanked volunteer brigades for their assistance.

Claims

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

Timeline

  1. about 12 hours ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    Serbia and Montenegro grapple with extensive wildfires

    Serbia battles 178 fires, including a 500‑hectare blaze in Deliblatska Peščara, while Montenegro fights three active wildfires in Bar, Cetinje and Kolašin with aircraft and army helicopters.

  2. 1 day ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 20 sources
    Balkan region battles widespread wildfires and fire incidents

    Wildfires and open‑air fires spread across the Balkans, affecting Serbia, Bosnia‑Herzegovina, Macedonia, Slovenia and Slovakia, with dozens of incidents, large burned areas and emergency alerts.

Sources

beta.rs · danas.rs · denesen.mk · dnevno.rs · espreso.co.rs · hlavnespravy.sk · icv.hr · kurir.rs · nova.rs · novilist.hr · plusinfo.mk · primorske.si · prlekija-on.net · resetka.rs · rtvslon.ba · sarajevotimes.com · sport1.ba · tvsa.ba · vecernji.ba · vijesti.ba · vijesti.me

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history