Fire in Prespa Park/ Director of ADZM: We are working to stop the flames from spreading to Podgorie

2025-07-27 10:12:00, Aktualitet CNA

Fire in Prespa Park/ Director of ADZM: We are working to stop the flames from

Since yesterday afternoon, a large-scale fire has engulfed the Prespa National Park, in the Municipality of Pustec. The flames spread through a forested area with steep terrain, making intervention from the ground difficult.

Since the early hours of this morning, over 70 forces have been engaged in the field, including firefighters, protected area workers, volunteers, and armed forces.

The intervention is focused on three fronts, with teams deployed to prevent the fire from spreading towards Podgorica, a high-risk area.

The Director of AdZM, Gjergji Koki, emphasizes that aerial technology, such as drones, has also been used to monitor the situation in real time and to more accurately direct forces on the ground. Meanwhile, water transport has been done by pack animals, due to the lack of road access.

"Since 4 am, about 75 human resources forces, consisting of the Pustec Ministry of Defense, volunteers, the administration of the protected areas, but also from the armed forces, have been deployed in the field. We are currently working on three fronts, the upper one where the groups have been since the morning in very difficult terrain to prevent penetration into the rear in the Podgorie area, which would be a disaster if fire were to penetrate there.

Meanwhile, two other groups have carried out lateral isolation of the fires. Currently, one of the fires poses a danger, all our forces are concentrated there, in the meantime we are conducting reconnaissance with a drone which gives us real-time information from the territory and then we concentrate human resources.

I hope we can make it possible before three in the afternoon, which is the most dangerous time for the spread of fires, to prevent it in a very difficult terrain because even water deliveries are made with Samaritan animals, in very difficult conditions.

"I hope that neutralization at an early stage will prevent further aggravated fire situations in Prespa National Park."

On the other hand, the mayor of Pustec, Pali Kolefski, announced that the situation is calmer, but remains under observation, with the hope that the wind will not help the flames spread. According to him, there is still no final estimate of the burned area, but it is thought to be around 10 to 15 hectares.

"The situation is a little calmer, we are monitoring it and we hope that the wind will not favor the spread of any possible fire. All firefighters, protected areas and service workers are on the ground and I hope that we can close it today. We do not have an accurate estimate of the area at the moment, but I believe it is about 10-15 hectares."

Authorities hope that intensive and timely intervention can curb the further spread of the fire before noon, when the danger is greatest due to high temperatures and strong winds./ CNA