More than 1,100 fire hotspots recorded in North Macedonia during the first six months of the year

According to data made available by the Crisis Management Center, a total of 1,104 fires in open areas were recorded in North Macedonia from the beginning of the year until July 1.

Of this total, 1,051 cases involved dry and tall grass, straw, low vegetation, degraded forests, as well as waste or landfills, while 53 of them were classified as forest fires.

January ended with 38 larger-scale fires in open areas, and none was recorded as a forest fire, as all were related to the burning of dry grass, straw, low-stem forest and degraded forest.

In February, an increase was noted, with 46 large-scale fires in open areas, all of which were also linked to the burning of dry grass, straw, low-stem forest and similar vegetation.

The first forest fires of the year were recorded in March. During that month, 294 large-scale fires in open areas were registered, 24 of them forest fires, while the other 270 involved lower vegetation.

In April, a decline followed, with 183 fires recorded in open areas. Of these, 23 were forest fires, one fewer than in the previous month, while the other 160 cases involved smaller vegetation, waste landfills and similar incidents.

The same trend continued in May, when 134 fires in open areas were recorded. Only 2 of them were forest fires, while the other 132 involved dry grass, straw and landfills.

In June, according to the data, a total of 349 larger-scale fires in open areas were recorded. Of these, 4 were forest fires, while the other 345 affected dry grass, straw and low-growth forest.

The CMC also provided data for the first day of July (01.07.2026), when 10 wider-scale fires in open areas were recorded and none fell into the category of forest fires.

“Every fire in the open has its own specifics, impacts, risks and threats, damage and possible consequences for the lives, health and property of citizens. The most specific fires in terms of scope (area and damage) are the fires in the regions of Shtip, Sveti Nikole and Veles,” the Center told us.

On the other hand, reform of the protection and rescue system has long been announced. It envisages, among other things, the merger of the Crisis Management Center with the Directorate for Protection and Rescue, but the process being carried out under the supervision of Deputy Prime Minister Ljupço Dimovski has still not been completed.