(C) Global Voices

(C) Global Voices
This story was originally published by Global Voices and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .

Macedonian prime minister blamed lack of cows and sheep for the summer wildfires [1]

['Metamorphosis Foundation']

Date: 2025-07-15

This article by Olivera Vojnovska was first published by Truthmeter.mk as part of the Counterspin series of analytical and explanatory articles. An edited version is being republished on Global Voices under a content partnership agreement with Metamorphosis Foundation.

Given the increased risk of forest fires during the summer months, North Macedonia faces a shortage of firefighting aircraft, pilots, and other qualified technical personnel. There is also a shortage of firefighters, while the firefighting vehicles and equipment are worn out. However, what is important is that we have identified the culprit for the fires – cows and sheep! This is not a joke, it was the prime minister who was “dead serious” as he explained on national television that there are no cattle to graze the grass in the mountains and that is why we have fires.

Prime Minister of North Macedonia Hristijan Mickoski appeared on the Macedonian Public Broadcasting Service MRT on June 24 on a special show about the anniversary of his administration. He spoke about the situation with agriculture, livestock farming, the subsidy and support system. Among other things, he said that as a country, we will be dependent on food imports, especially in the meat sector. When he mentioned forest fires, he spun the truth about the causes and measures needed for their prevention:

За жал и тоа една од причините зошто ни се случуваат пожарите, затоа што немаме стока по планините да ја пасат тревата и затоа ни е тревата бујна, а сега ќе се исуши еве топло е и ќе почнат пожарите, сезона на пожари… Друго е порано, многу стока по планините илјадници, десетици, стотици илјади грла ја пасат тревата и помала е можноста за пожари. Сега бујна вегетација, топло време се суши, мава искра и бувнува пожар. Тука малце треба да се поработи, но за жал сè помалку луѓе што се занимаваат со сточарство, помалку овчари. Иако е многу добро платена професија две и повеќе илјади евра е месечен надомест за овчарите. Но, сè помалку луѓе се занимаваат со сето тоа. Така што, лично го следам не дека сега сум сештолог… но логично како претседател на Владата мора да гледате и стратегија да правите… Но во делот на сточарството за жал уште долго ќе треба да бидеме увозници на месо.

Unfortunately, that’s one of the reasons why we have wildfires, because we don’t have cattle in the mountains to graze the grass and that’s why our grass is lush, and now it’s going to dry out; it’s hot and the fires will start, it is fire season. It used to be different, a lot of cattle in the mountains, thousands, tens, hundreds of thousands of heads graze the grass and the possibility of fires is lower. Now there’s lush vegetation, hot weather dries it up, sparks fly and fires break out. There needs to be some work done here, but unfortunately there are fewer and fewer people involved in livestock farming, fewer shepherds. Even though it’s a very well-paid profession — two thousand euros or more is the monthly salary for shepherds. However, fewer and fewer people are involved in all of that. So, I personally follow it, not that I’m a know-it-all … but logically, as the prime minister you have to follow and make a strategy… But in the area of livestock farming, unfortunately, we will have to be meat importers for a long time.

Counterspin

In this statement, Prime Minister Mickoski says that wildfires occur because there are not enough cattle in the mountains to graze the grass. One can recognise the spin, and it seems somewhat strange, even funny. Mickoski, as he himself added, is not a “know-it-all(!)” yet, in the interview, he blamed the livestock, cows and sheep, for the fires!

However, contrary to this claim, the most common cause of forest fires in North Macedonia is the human factor — lighting fires, throwing kindling in open spaces, disregarding the ban on movement in forests, and deliberate arson. Furthermore, climate change has a significant impact, including droughts, extremely high temperatures, and strong winds that are atypical for certain regions.

On the other hand, a very important issue is how to extinguish the fires that rage every summer. This year, once again, they will probably not spare us. It is quite worrying how the state will cope with the fire threat when there are not enough firefighters in the territorial fire departments and when the vehicles and equipment are old and dilapidated. North Macedonia does not have enough aircraft, active pilots, neither a training center or interest from young pilots in this profession.

There are still many “no’s” hanging over (un)preparedness of the state to deal with fires. It is certain that it will once again have to rely on international help to fight fires this year:

🇪🇺 solidarity in action: 🇨🇿, 🇩🇪, 🇸🇪, 🇸🇮 & 🇷🇸 planes, helicopters & crews join partners from 🇲🇰 in fighting the wildfires. Coordinated through 🇪🇺 Civil Protection Mechanism. pic.twitter.com/uECzBN2mFv — EU Delegation to North Macedonia (@AmbassadorEU) August 3, 2024

When North Macedonia was burning last year, it received help from “air tractors” and helicopters from the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Serbia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey, Croatia, as well as from Sweden and Germany, while firefighters from abroad with special off-road vehicles also helped. The situation was similar in previous years.

According to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), which is part of the Copernicus Programme, last year in Macedonia, over 94,000 hectares [232,279 acres] burned in 126 forest fires. In percentage terms, 3.6 percent of the total territory of the country burned. EFFIS announced alarming data, according to which last year as much forest burned in North Macedonia as in the previous 10 years combined, when over 400 forest fires burned about 100,000 hectares [247,105 acres].

The most difficult year before that was 2019, when 29,807 hectares [73,655 acres] burned in 135 forest fires. One of the largest forest fires last year was in Mariovo, where 11,000 hectares [27,182 acres] burned, and it was finally brought under control eight days after the outbreak. EFFIS also reported that because of the numerous forest fires last August, the government requested emergency assistance and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism was activated. In response, 10 aerial firefighting teams from six EU member states were deployed to North Macedonia to help the country fight the fires.

Recently, however, the new director of the Protection and Rescue Directorate (PRDM), Stojanche Angelov, who came to this position from the directorship of the Crisis Management Center (CMC), announced that none of the three “air tractor” (Air Tractor AT-802) firefighting aircraft were operational:

Во овој момент во државата нема ниту еден функционален ер трактор, но јас сум оптимист дека набргу ќе ги имаме трите ер трактори заедно со посадите, односно пилотите. Тие моментално се на сервис, постојат одредени би рекол проблеми но верувам дека брзо ќе бидат отстранети и истите ќе бидат вратени во државата благовремено во пресрет на претстојните пожари.

At this moment, there is not a single functional air tractor in the country, but I am optimistic that we will soon have the three air tractors together with the crews, that is, the pilots. They are currently undergoing service, there are certain problems, I would say, but I believe that they will be quickly eliminated and they will be returned to the country in a timely manner in anticipation of the upcoming fires.

Angelov complained that the PRDM faces serious challenges, including a shortage of pilots, problems with servicing air tractors, and a lack of contracts with rapid response teams, especially those for extinguishing open-air fires. In addition, some members of these teams lack adequate equipment, training, and physical fitness. Angelov said:

Инспекцискиот надзор на противпожарната заштита е во лоша состојба, со недостиг на квалификувани инспектори и сомнежи во валидноста на издадените дозволи. Исто така, во ДЗС работат само неколку специјалисти за ракување со неексплодирани минско-експлозивни средства, кои се чуваат на несоодветен начин

Fire protection inspection and supervision are in poor condition, with a lack of qualified inspectors and doubts about the validity of issued permits. Additionally, the Protection and Rescue Directorate has only a few specialists for handling unexploded ordnance, which is stored inappropriately.

At the beginning of June, only one aircraft was returned from regular service, the Protection and Rescue Directorate announced on Facebook.

Thus, in the face of the increased risk of forest fires during the summer months, North Macedonia does not have enough firefighting planes, pilots, and other qualified technical personnel. There is a shortage of firefighters; however, what is important is that we have identified the culprit for the fires – cows and sheep!

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://globalvoices.org/2025/07/15/macedonian-prime-minister-blamed-lack-of-cows-and-sheep-for-the-summer-wildfires/

Published and (C) by Global Voices
Content appears here under this condition or license: https://globalvoices.org/about/global-voices-attribution-policy/.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/globalvoices/