Macedonia Battles Fires As Heatwave Continues

Almost the entire village of Patetino near the central town of Sveti Nikole was engulfed by flames on Monday night.

Some 30 of the 40 houses in the village have been burned down, authorities reported.

However, there were no reported injuries, as the fire burned mostly weekend houses that were empty.

One outskirt of the central town of Stip was also under threat from a nearby fire that spread fast in the dry wind. The intervention of firefighters prevented the spread of the blaze, the Crisis Management Centre reported.

Skopje fire brigade was also on alert on Monday night, preventing a fire that reportedly broke out on a big grassy plain and threatened nearby residential areas in the municipalities of Kisela Voda and Aerodrom. The fire is under control, authorities reported on Tuesday.

Blamed on human negligence and helped by the scorching summer heat, several other wildfires are threatening urban and rural parts of the country.

A fire near the weekend settlement of Sutlak, near Stip, is still active, authorities say. But one near the village of Smokvica near the town of Gevgelija has been contained, they add.