Already this year, 2022, we have seen the terrible images of Forest fires raging in Spain and France, and the fear of course is how many more we will see before summer is over.

Last year we witnessed first hand the results of fires around Kocani. To begin with we watched fires raging on surrounding mountains,

Gradually the fires got closer and threatened to engulf the town, this happened after a bank holiday when people had gone into the mountains and forest area’s with family and friends to enjoy time together, having a picnic or maybe a BBQ and although I am convinced nobody is careless on purpose they are careless by not realising what the risk is and what the consequences can be.

Surrounding area’s .

We had been to Mount Ponikva and watched fires raging around the mountain, we met a forester who was assessing the damage and helping to coordinate the fighting of the fires. We were unsure how he was doing this as he was on a very small moped and was not in possession of a mobile phone. What was clear was his knowledge of the mountain range and how fires’ work, he seemed to take, what to us a seemed like a major crisis all in his stride. We came home reasonably reassured that things were under control.

However, that feeling was short lived. A few days later we headed off to Greece for our holiday. I know I am on holiday when I am here but Johan is still working and in need of a holiday away from his list of jobs that need to be done.

While we were in Greece we received this photo from our daughter, I was terrified! I suggested they leave immediately!

In the meantime Johan had contact with locals around Kocani and they assured him that it really was contained and firefighters from neighbouring countries had been called in to help distinguish, or at least contain the fires.

Heros’

Johan instructed our daughter and friends to take precautionary measures by beating down the dry grass outside the house parameters and to water the grass daily. They took the advice seriously and did a grand job!

This year Johan has continually mown a patch of 2 meters wide around the house, lets be honest any precautionary measure is better than none.

Government precautionary measures

In an attempt to prevent forest fires occurring during holiday times the government has implemented precautionary measures by banning access to a number of forest area’s, the fine for violating these measures amounts to around 6 months wages for someone who earns an average wage. Hopefully it won’t be necessary to fine anyone.

When we left North Macedonia our taxi driver told us that the fire reached within 10 meters of his garden, he was resigned to the fact that he would lose everything, lets be honest its a battle you’re not going to win, when all of a sudden the wind direction changed and the fire was swept back into the mountains and his house and garden were spared. He was surprisingly accepting of the whole affair, c’est la vie, seems to be the general philosophy here, maybe as the opportunities that are available are, in our eyes, limited so people accept what life serves up for them.
It can be seen as lack of motivation and the reason that life stagnates but with all of these things there are layers and layers of history which have resulted in this way of thinking and I guess it will take years and many generations to peel those layers away to make way for a different mindset.

As for this summer, we have had a few downpours and the land is looking a little greener than this time last year so we are hoping that that will also reduce the risk of fires but only time will tell.