In the early morning hours, around 8 a.m., a fire broke out near the village of Podgorci, affecting an area of approximately 40 hectares, burning dry grass and some low vegetation. According to initial information, the fire was caused by human factors.

Great credit for the timely response goes to the well-known activist from Podgorci, Shaban Ademoski, who was the first to arrive at the scene of the fire and, through an appeal on social networks, informed the locals about the situation and called on them to help extinguish it. His call encouraged many citizens to organize quickly and take action on the ground.

Initially, two vehicles intervened in extinguishing the fire – from the Fire Department and the Forestry Police, which were unable to control the fire alone. Later, a larger firefighting vehicle arrived from Struga and another vehicle from Labunista, whose involvement successfully localized the fire.

Besides the professional services, young volunteers from Podgorci actively joined in extinguishing the fire, using water backpacks to help in inaccessible areas where hoses could not be used. Volunteers from Labunista also provided significant assistance.

Thanks to the fast response of firefighters, activists, and citizens, the spread of the fire was prevented and potential larger consequences avoided.