North Macedonia has suffered millions of euros in damage due to extensive fires over the past few weeks, with Mount Serta being the worst affected area. A vast forest area has burned, and experts estimate it will take a century to restore the lost vegetation.

Last week, with temperatures soaring to 43 degrees Celsius, North Macedonia was struck by devastating wildfires in several regions. In response to the escalating crisis, the government declared a state of emergency and instituted a complete ban on movement in forests and forest lands managed by the state company National Forests, effective from 15 July.

The fires have caused irreparable damage to the ecosystem, wildlife, and agricultural crops. "The entire ecosystem is suffering huge consequences from the fires. The burnt wood mass is only one-tenth of the total damage, which includes pollution and destruction of agricultural crops and soil," Zoran Manev, an official from the state-owned company National Forests, told DW.

The fire on Mount Serta has devastated over 200 square kilometres of land, primarily low-stemmed forest, with recovery expected to take years.

Kiril Mihailov, deputy general director of National Forests, noted that damage assessments are ongoing as the risk of new fires remains high. National Forests teams are closely monitoring the situation, with hotspots continually appearing. High temperatures and a forecasted heatwave in early August, with temperatures expected to exceed 40 degrees, bring additional concerns.

National Forests announced plans for afforestation of Mount Serta and other affected areas. From 2000 to 2021, North Macedonia experienced over 4,800 fires, burning over 200,000 hectares, according to the article.