Local residents and officials are questioning the response of the Kovin Municipal Emergency Headquarters after a wildfire affected the Vrela weekend settlement.
Key facts
- •Approximately 3,500 hectares of the 35,000-hectare Deliblato Sands have been destroyed by fire.
- •The Vrela weekend settlement, which lacks a municipal water supply, was directly affected by the fire.
- •Larisa Mikić criticized the Kovin Municipal Emergency Headquarters for providing insufficient and infrequent updates to the public.
- •Local residents and officials have raised concerns about the long-term failure to maintain firebreaks in the region.
- •Police are currently restricting traffic toward the village of Dubovac to allow only local residents to pass.
Following a wildfire that impacted the Vrela weekend settlement near Deliblato, local residents are demanding more information from the Kovin Municipal Emergency Headquarters. Larisa Mikić, a Democratic Party councilor in the Kovin Municipal Assembly, stated that while the situation in Deliblato is currently stable, citizens lack clear communication regarding the emergency response.
By the numbers
Fire Impact and Response Concerns
According to official statements from the Ministry of the Interior, approximately 3,500 hectares of the 35,000-hectare Deliblato Sands have burned. Mikić noted that residents of Vrela had to defend their properties themselves, noting that the settlement lacks a water supply system and relies on individual wells. She criticized the Municipal Emergency Headquarters for infrequent updates, arguing that their communication fails to match the rapidly changing nature of the fire.
Maintenance and Infrastructure Issues
Beyond the immediate fire, Mikić highlighted long-standing concerns regarding the lack of maintenance of firebreaks within the Deliblato Sands, a responsibility she attributed to the public enterprise 'Vojvodinašume.' She also cited a chronic shortage of foresters due to hiring bans and noted that traditional methods of maintaining paths through the area with machinery and local involvement have ceased.
Current Situation in Gaj and Dubovac
In the village of Gaj, the situation remains volatile, with reports of thick gray smoke and helicopter activity. Police are stationed at the exit of Gaj, restricting access toward Dubovac to local residents only. Nearby villagers have expressed concern, noting that the fire situation has persisted for weeks, prompting calls for an investigation into whether the fire could have been prevented or contained more effectively.
Advertisement
This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by N1 Info.
