Serbia races to contain wildfires as Europe’s blistering heat wave grips
the Balkans
[August 08, 2026]
By STEPHEN McGRATH and JOVANA GEC
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Thick gray smoke drifted over a wooded area in
northeast Serbia on Friday as authorities raced to contain a major
wildfire, while multiple other blazes raged across the country amid
extreme heat and prolonged drought gripping the Balkans.
Firefighters used helicopters to drop water on the blaze sweeping
through pine forests near Deliblatska Pescara, a protected nature
reserve about 65 kilometers (40 miles) from the capital, Belgrade.
Another major fire raged near the central town of Kraljevo.
The blistering heat wave bearing down on Europe in recent weeks has set
national temperature records in multiple countries, led to droughts that
have strained national energy systems and fueled wildfires from Western
Europe to the Balkans.
Fires in Serbia rage close to settlements
Fires in Serbia rage close to the settlements of Cardak and Sumarak in
the Deliblatska Pescara area. Regional television reported that
villagers from Sumarak have been asked to leave their homes as a
precaution. Authorities said that no houses had caught fire and no
casualties had been reported.
Days of dry weather and scorching heat reaching 40 degrees Celsius
(104F) have worsened the wildfire risk. Strong winds across the Balkan
nation on Friday complicated firefighters’ efforts to contain the
blazes.
After an emergency meeting Friday, Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica
Dacic said the army had been brought in to help emergency efforts. The
government urged all state companies to provide any equipment and human
resources they can spare to help tackle the blazes. Dacic added that
despite nine wildfires affecting various parts of the country, the
situation was “not critical.”
Firefighters were also tackling blazes on Friday in neighboring
Montenegro near the town of Cetinje, and other locations in the Adriatic
Sea nation.
Heat wave breaks records in Europe
The extreme weather across Europe has pushed temperatures above 40 C in
many countries, prompting health warnings for millions of people.
Scientists and officials warn that such events are becoming more
frequent and intense as the climate warms.
In Central Europe, Slovakia and Austria both recorded all-time high
temperatures this week.
In Dolne Plachtince in southern Slovakia, temperatures soared to 42.2 C
(108 F), while the Austrian village of Bad Deutsch-Altenburg near the
Slovak border recorded 41.2 C (106.2 F). Hungary also recorded its
warmest overnight temperature on record, with temperatures falling only
to 28 C (82 F) in the capital, Budapest.
In Italy, officials placed all its major cities under the highest heat
alert on Thursday, signaling a health risk for the entire population,
not only vulnerable groups.
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A Serbian Army helicopter battles a fire in Deliblatska Pescara (Deliblato
Sands), near the village of Sumarak, 70 kilometers north-west of
Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Severe droughts hit major European rivers
Prolonged droughts have left major European rivers such as the
Danube River and Rhine River at significantly low water levels, and
multiple Central and Eastern European governments are facing energy
emergencies as a result.
On Friday, Romania continued an operation to sink four rock-laden
barges into the Danube near the Bala Canal to redirect water
downstream toward its state-owned Cernavoda nuclear plant, which
relies on river water to cool its reactors. The aim is to buy more
time before the second reactor is likely forced offline after its
first reactor was shut down last week.
In neighboring Hungary, operators of the country’s only nuclear
power plant were also forced to reduce output to about 10% of normal
production due to the Danube’s low levels, prompting the government
to ask businesses and the general public to cut down on their
electricity use, particularly during peak hours.
On Friday, Hungary’s Prime Minister Péter Magyar told a news
conference that slightly cooler weather and water level increases of
around 20 to 30 centimeters (8 to 12 inches) on the Danube meant
that energy-saving measures could be suspended. He praised
Hungarians for successfully reducing the burden on the electrical
grid.
“We would like to thank everyone who, during the difficult week
that’s behind us, joined in this unprecedented national
cooperation,” he said. “We have preserved Hungary’s energy and water
security.”
Magyar said some rainfall could raise water levels on the Danube
further and bring “temporary respite” in the coming days, but warned
that more hot and dry weather in the forecast would likely lead to
levels dropping again.
Over the past week, Slovakia’s biggest hydroelectric power plant in
Gabčíkovo was forced to shut down seven of its eight turbines, and
Germany also faced growing concerns over the impact of drought on
transportation and industry as water levels on the Rhine and other
rivers continued to fall.
In Moldova, which relies heavily on imported electricity, including
from Romania, authorities have urged citizens to voluntarily reduce
usage during peak hours.
—
McGrath reported from Leamington Spa, England. Justin Spike reported
from Budapest, Hungary.
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