Counterspin: When sheep and cows are to blame for the fires

Given the increased risk of forest fires during the summer months, we face a shortage of firefighting aircraft, pilots, and other qualified technical personnel. There is also a shortage of firefighters, while the firefighting vehicles and equipment are worn out, however, what is important is that we have identified the culprit for the fires–cows and sheep! This is not a joke, it was the Prime Minister who “dead serious” explained in an appearance on national television that there are no cattle to graze the grass in the mountains and that is why we have fires

 

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski recently appeared on MRT, speaking about the situation with agriculture, livestock farming, the subsidy and support system, and among other things, said that as a country we will be dependent on food imports in a certain form—especially in the meat sector. He mentioned the fires, and in doing so, he spun the truth.

Spin: Unfortunately, that’s one of the reasons why we have fires, because we don’t have cattle in the mountains to graze the grass and that’s why our grass is lush, and now it’s going to dry out, it’s hot and the fires will start, it is fire season…It used to be different, a lot of cattle in the mountains, thousands, tens, hundreds of thousands of heads graze the grass and the possibility of fires is lower… Now there’s lush vegetation, hot weather dries it up, sparks fly and fires break out… There needs to be some work done here, but unfortunately there are fewer and fewer people involved in livestock farming, fewer shepherds… Even though it’s a very well-paid profession, two thousand euros or more is the monthly salary for shepherds. However, fewer and fewer people are involved in all of that. So, I personally follow it, not that I’m a know-it-all… but logically, as the Prime Minister you have to follow and make a strategy… But in the area of ​​livestock farming, unfortunately, we will have to be meat importers for a long time.

[Soruces: MRT (from 1:16:41 to 1:18:00 of the video); YouTube–Government of the Republic of North Macedonia (from 1:17: 42 to 1:19:00 of the video)  Date: 25.06.2025] 

Counterspin: In this statement by Prime Minister Mickoski, in which he says that fires occur because there are not enough cattle in the mountains to graze the grass, one can recognize the spin and it seems somewhat strange, even funny. Mickoski, as he himself says, is not a “know-it-all(!)” (as if he knows or understands everything), yet, in the interview on the occasion of the “One Year Government” anniversary he explained to us that:

One of the reasons why we have fires is because we don’t have cattle in the mountains to graze the grass, and that’s why our grass is lush, and now it’s going to dry out, it’s hot here, and the fires will start… It used to be different, there were a lot of cattle in the mountains, thousands, tens, hundreds of thousands of heads grazing the grass, and the possibility of fires was lower… Now there’s lush vegetation, hot weather dries it out, a spark flies and a fire breaks out...

So, the Prime Minister blamed the livestock, cows and sheep, for the fires!

However, contrary to this claim, the most common cause of forest fires is the human factor–lighting fires, throwing kindling in open spaces, disregarding the ban on movement in forests, deliberate arson…Furthermore, climate change also has a significant impact on fires–droughts, enormously high temperatures, strong winds atypical for certain regions…

On the other hand, a very important issue is how we will extinguish the fires that rage every summer. This year, once again, they will probably not spare us. It is quite worrying how the state will cope with the fire threat when there are not enough firefighters in the territorial fire departments and when the vehicles and equipment are old and dilapidated. We do not have enough aircraft, active pilots, a training center or interest from young pilots in this profession…

There are still many “no’s” hanging over our (un)preparedness to deal with fires. It is certain that the state will once again rely on international help to fight fires this year.

When North Macedonia was burning last year, we received help from “air tractors” and helicopters from the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Serbia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey, Croatia, as well as from Sweden and Germany, while firefighters from abroad with special off-road vehicles also helped us. The situation was similar in previous years.

According to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), which is part of the Copernicus Programme, last year in Macedonia, over 94,000 hectares burned in 126 forest fires. In percentage terms, 3.6 percent of the total territory of the country burned. EFFIS announced alarming data, according to which last year as much forest burned in our country as in the previous ten years combined, when over 400 forest fires burned about 100,000 hectares. The most difficult year before that was 2019, when 29,807 hectares burned in 135 forest fires. One of the largest forest fires last year was the one in Mariovo, where 11,000 hectares burned and it was finally brought under control eight days after the outbreak. EFFIS also reported that due to the numerous forest fires last August, the Government requested emergency assistance and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism was activated. In response, ten aerial firefighting teams from six different EU member states were deployed to Macedonia to help the country fight the fires.

Recently, however, Stojanche Angelov, after taking over the directorship of the Protection and Rescue Directorate (PRDM)—who came to this position from the directorship of the Crisis Management Center (CMC), announced that none of the three “air tractor” firefighting aircraft are in operation, because they are undergoing service.

At this moment, there is not a single functional air tractor in the country, but I am optimistic that we will soon have the three air tractors together with the crews, that is, the pilots. They are currently undergoing service, there are certain problems, I would say, but I believe that they will be quickly eliminated and they will be returned to the country in a timely manner in anticipation of the upcoming fires, Angelov said on May 27.

Angelov complained that the PRDM faces serious challenges, including a shortage of pilots, problems with servicing air tractors, and a lack of contracts with rapid response teams, especially those for extinguishing open-air fires. In addition, some members of these teams lack adequate equipment, training, and physical fitness.

Fire protection inspection and supervision are in poor condition, with a lack of qualified inspectors and doubts about the validity of issued permits. Additionally, the Protection and Rescue Directorate has only a few specialists for handling unexploded ordnance, which is stored inappropriately, Angelov said.

At the beginning of June, only one aircraft was returned from regular service, the Protection and Rescue Directorate announced on Facebook.

Thus, in the face of the increased risk of forest fires during the summer months, we do not have enough firefighting planes, pilots, and other qualified technical personnel. There is a shortage of firefighters, however, what is important, we have identified the culprit for the fires–cows and sheep! This is not a joke, it was the Prime Minister who “dead serious” explained in an appearance on national television that there are no cattle to graze the grass in the mountains and that is why we have fires

 

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