Bulgaria triggered its heatwave Code Red, while North Macedonia asked for international aid.
ADVERTISEMENTWildfires are spreading in the Balkans as temperatures keep rising, as the southeastern part of Europe experiences one of the most powerful heatwaves of the year.
Bulgaria's Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev called on citizens to be "extremely careful", and the state declared code red for heatwaves. Fires covered huge areas in the South and South-West of the country.
He visited the site of a burnt-down house in the region of Stara Zagora, speaking to locals and volunteers who helped to fight the fire.
“The situation is under control at the moment. The state is ready to provide additional support if necessary through the Interdepartmental Commission for Recovery and Assistance," said Glavchev, stating that Bulgaria has assurances of support from the Czech Republic and Romania.
There are also nearly a dozen active wildfires in North Macedonia.
The most widespread one is on the Serta Mountain, in the region of Negotino. About 700-800 hectares of pine forest are ablaze, and the fire is still not under control.
The government of North Macedonia asked the EU to come to its aid by activating the bloc's civil protection mechanism.
Firefighting aircraft arrived from Turkey, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia and were deployed in the fire zones.