Serbian firefighters are battling a major wildfire that has engulfed more than 1,600 hectares of vegetation in the Deliblatska Peščara nature reserve, located about 60 kilometres east of Belgrade. The emergency response has been intensified with support from a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 water bomber and several Serbian army helicopters as authorities struggle to contain the blaze.
Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Dačić described the situation as “extremely difficult,” saying more than 400 firefighters and emergency personnel are deployed daily in the effort to control the flames. High temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds have made firefighting operations increasingly challenging in the protected natural area.
The Russian Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft joined the operation after arriving in Serbia earlier this week and has been working alongside Serbian emergency teams. The aircraft, capable of releasing up to 42 tonnes of water in a single drop, was deployed because additional firefighting capacity was needed amid widespread wildfires affecting parts of Europe.
The wildfire spread rapidly in early August as Serbia faced an intense summer heatwave, prolonged drought and extremely dry vegetation, creating ideal conditions for flames to expand quickly. Strong winds and high temperatures, which reached around 40°C in parts of the country, made firefighting efforts more difficult and caused the blaze to change direction unpredictably.
The Deliblatska Peščara, often described as one of Europe’s largest sandy landscapes, is a protected area known for its forests, rare plant species and wildlife. The ongoing wildfire has raised concerns over environmental damage and the safety of nearby communities as firefighters continue efforts to bring the blaze under control.
