Balkan countries struggle with more wildfires amid latest heatwave

Bulgaria triggered its heatwave Code Red, while North Macedonia asked for international aid.

Transcript

00:00Wildfires are spreading in the Balkans as temperatures rise.

00:03Bulgaria's prime minister called on citizens to be extremely careful

00:06and the state declared red code for heatwaves.

00:09Wildfires covered huge areas in south and southwest Bulgaria.

00:13Prime minister Dmitar Glavcev visited the site of a burn house in the region of Stara Zagora,

00:17speaking to locals and volunteers who helped to fight the fire.

00:21The situation is under control.

00:23It will be under control here as well.

00:26We turned to our neighbours for help.

00:32We have received confirmation from the Czech Republic and Romania that they are ready.

00:40There are also 10 active fires in North Macedonia.

00:43The most spread one is in the region of Stip and Negotino at the Serta mountain.

00:48There are about 700 to 800 hectares of pine forest and the fire is still not under control.

00:54The government of North Macedonia asked from the European Union

00:57to activate the mechanism of the civil protection and following its affirmative response,

01:02air tractors and helicopters arrived from Turkey, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia

01:07and were deployed in the fire zones.