THE ENTIRE CITY OF NIŠ COVERED IN SMOKE: 50 hectares of forest are burning, two helicopters are extinguishing the fire, it’s hard to breathe in the city!

A large fire broke out today a little before 2 p.m. in the village of Jasenovik near Niš.

The fire started in a pine forest and quickly spread to an area of 50 hectares. Extinguishing the fire is made difficult by the fact that the fire has engulfed an inaccessible terrain with poor access roads, so helicopter units were called for help.

The fire is being fought by 17 firefighter-rescuers from the VSJ Niš with seven vehicles, the “Stevan Sinđelić” Volunteer Fire Department, four firefighters with a vehicle, and three workers from “Srbija šume.”

The firefighters have also set up a temporary pool so that the helicopters can get water from it because there are no bodies of water or running water anywhere nearby. One helicopter has arrived at the scene, and a second one is also expected. The firefighters are making great efforts to get the fire under control, but the strong wind is making their job difficult.

The smoke has reached Niš and has led to significant air pollution, making it hard to breathe in a large part of the city.