A series of fires have broken out in the municipality of Podujeva, with a total of 19 incidents recorded in the last 24 hours. Local firefighting forces and authorities are fully engaged in managing the situation, having responded to 14 of the fires so far. Two fires remain active and efforts to extinguish them are ongoing.
Although there is no official report yet, it is understood that large areas of wheat fields were burned yesterday, destroying the hard work of many farmers from the Llapi region and endangering both people and their property. The KosovaPress team visited the village of Buricë today, where there are still active fire hotspots being ‘fought’ by firefighters.
Due to the high temperatures that have persisted for more than a month across the country and the lack of rainfall, the outbreak of fires is becoming increasingly concerning, putting people, animals, structures, crops, and forested areas at serious risk.
According to the spokesperson of the Municipality of Podujeva, Fatri Zhitia, the municipality is coordinating with firefighting brigades and the Emergency Management Agency to ensure the safety of citizens and to minimize damage to property and the environment. Spokesperson Zhitia emphasized the quick response of the firefighting teams, despite the difficult weather conditions and mountainous terrain.
“In recent days, the Municipality of Podujeva has been dealing with different fire outbreaks in various locations. In cooperation with the Emergency Management Agency, the Kosovo Police, and the Firefighting Brigade here in Podujeva, we are working to assist citizens and to localize the fires that have affected many villages, endangering not only property but also residential homes,” he said.
He also highlighted that, with the help of the municipal inspectorate, they are making efforts to track down the perpetrators responsible for starting these fires.
The Commander of the Municipal Fire Brigade in Podujeva, Milaim Ajvazi, provided further information on the efforts to extinguish the fires.
“During the past week, we’ve intervened in around 39 cases. The most problematic areas are those planted with wheat, meadows, and other crops. Our municipality is fairly large and has a relatively difficult geographic terrain. When I say difficult, I refer to mountainous areas where in some places it’s so challenging that we can’t intervene at all. We have coordination as provided by law to support neighboring municipalities, and we maintain good cooperation with the Fire Brigade in Pristina, with the police in Podujeva, and with the border police. As for cooperation, it’s excellent. With the public, we have good collaboration—except with those who are intentionally starting fires,” he said.
Ajvazi also added that the municipal brigade in Podujeva has had the same number of staff for the past 23 years and emphasized that this is a widespread issue across Kosovo, even though there have been ongoing requests for staff increases.
It was also noted by firefighters that for the past three years, they have been working without receiving hazard pay for their dangerous work.
This challenge was also acknowledged by the spokesperson of the Municipality of Podujeva, who stated that the Municipal Fire Brigade lacks sufficient staff. He emphasized that the responsibility for this lies with the Emergency Management Agency.
“In terms of vehicles and other technical equipment, the firefighting unit in the municipality of Podujeva is well-equipped and has operational vehicles. However, a long-standing issue we face is the lack of human resources. This matter is the responsibility of the Emergency Management Agency, which oversees the recruitment of staff. We have repeatedly requested that EMA increase human capacities in the municipality of Podujeva,” he emphasized.
The fires, which broke out last week, have raised concern due to their proximity to residential areas, though no casualties have been reported so far. Local authorities have urged citizens to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity that may be linked to the fires.
For now, the causes of the fires have not yet been confirmed, but authorities are conducting investigations. The situation is being monitored and further information will be provided if there are significant developments.
Authorities are urging all residents to cooperate with officials whenever necessary.
