Locals and firefighters battle a wildfire in North Macedonia with shovels, failing to get it under control despite a helicopter in operation.

The fire, which was still burning through dry vegetation on Wednesday (August 19) is in difficult mountainous terrain, with dried grasslands creating fast-burning fuel.

"We had several tense situations here. Several times we managed to bring the fire partially under control, but then it got away from us again," North Macedonia's Crisis Management Centre director Stojance Angelov said. "The terrain is extremely difficult to work in, with very tall, tinder-dry grass. A police helicopter operated here during the day, and we set up a portable water tank next to the river to ensure a greater supply of water. The effect was good, but the fire still broke through again.“

Stonjance himself was helping locals who were fighting the fire with shovels and anything they could between the villages of Caniste and Krusevics in the Mariovo area. He said a police helicopter had been deployed and firefighters had set up a temporary water pool next to a river to provide a faster supply of water for aerial firefighting.

"Stojance was on the ground early, fighting the fire right alongside me through the blinding ash and embers, but we simply couldn't bring it under control" local farmer Ljubce Ivanski said after bringing his cows to safety.

"The wind just tore it away from us; it was devouring everything, just devouring everything. We had both a plane and a helicopter deployed, and his team was outstanding and fully prepared, but it was all for nothing.”

North Macedonia has faced a series of wildfires during the summer as high temperatures and dry conditions increased the risk of fires across the Balkan region.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Villagers and firefighters battle blaze with shovels as wildfire marches across mountains

VIDEO SHOWS: DRONE VIEWS OF FIRE, DRONE VIEW OF FIRE FRONT MOVING ACROSS MOUNTIAN / POLICE AND FIRE-EXTINGUISHING CREWS / SOUNDBITE FROM ACTING DIRECTOR OF NORTH MACEDONIA'S PROTECTION AND RESCUE DIRECTORATE / FIREMEN AND LOCALS BEATING EMBERS / SOUNDBITE FROM FARMER EVACUATING COWS

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: KRUSEVICA, NORTH MACEDONIA (AUGUST 19, 2026 ) (REUTERS – Access all)

1. (MUTE) VARIOUS OF DRONE VIEWS OF WILDFIRE, BURNING LOW VEGETATION, FLAMES, SMOKE

2. VARIOUS OF SCORCHED EARTH, SPARSE TREES SURVIVING FIRE AS WILDFIRE STILL RAGING

3. VARIOUS OF POLICE, FIRE-EXTINGUISHING CREWS STANDING BY ROAD, SMOKE AND FIRE RAGING IN DISTANCE

4. (SOUNDBITE) (Macedonian) DIRECTOR OF NORTH MACEDONIA’S CRISIS MANAGEMENT CENTRE, STOJANCE ANGELOV, SAYING:

“The fire is located somewhere halfway between the villages of Caniste and Krusevica, villages in the Prilep area. During the day, we had several tense situations here. Several times we managed to bring the fire partially under control, but then it got away from us again. The terrain is extremely difficult to work in, with very tall, tinder-dry grass. A police helicopter operated here during the day, and we set up a portable water tank next to the river to ensure a greater supply of water. The effect was good, but the fire still broke through again.“

5. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE, POLICE AND FIRE CREWS WITH SHOVELS, BEATING EMBERS WITH SHOVELS, TRYING TO EXTINGUISH FIRE REMNANTS

6. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE STANDING WITH SHOVELS AS LOW VEGETATION BURN ANDTHICK WHITE SMOKE BEHIND HIM

7. LOW VEGETATION BURNING, WILDFIRE SLOWLY ADVANCING TOWARDS FOREST

8. FARMER EVACUATING HIS HERD OF COWS

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Macedonian) FARMER, LJUBCE IVANSKI, SAYING:

"Stojance (North Macedonia's Crisis Management Centre director Stojance Angelov) was on the ground early, fighting the fire right alongside me through the blinding ash and embers, but we simply couldn't bring it under control. The wind just tore it away from us; it was devouring everything, just devouring everything. We had both a plane and a helicopter deployed, and his team was outstanding and fully prepared, but it was all for nothing.”

10. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WITH SHOVELS BEATING TO EXTINGUISH FINAL FLAMES ON EMBERS, SPECIALISED FIRE VEHICLE WITH WATER JET DRIVING ALONG EDGE OF BURNED AREA EXTINGUISHING REMAINING FLAMES

11. (MUTE) VARIOUS OF DRONE SHOTS OF FIRE