Serbia's battle against one of its toughest wildfire seasons of the summer is far from over, with firefighters still battling active blazes across rugged mountain terrain while historically low river levels expose another consequence of the country's prolonged heatwave.

Firefighters are continuing to battle several wildfires across Serbia, with some of the most challenging situations reported in the Ibar Gorge area, near Ušće and Kraljevo, public broadcaster RTS reported on August 6.

The fires are spreading through difficult and inaccessible terrain, making firefighting operations more challenging. Firefighters, forestry workers and volunteers are working together, while helicopters have also been deployed to help contain the flames.

In the Žarački Mountains, more than 150 hectares of forest and low vegetation have been affected, while fires have also reached areas around Mount Stolovi near Kraljevo.

Deliblato Sands under pressure again

Further north, the vast Deliblato Sands (Deliblatska Peščara) nature reserve is once again facing a major wildfire after flames reignited in an area that had burned only ten days earlier. Strong winds helped spread the fire, which has already scorched around 500 hectares of forest.

Authorities have banned public access to the affected part of the reserve. Although no homes are currently at risk, thick smoke is visible from the town of Kovin, about 10 kilometres away, where residents can also smell the smoke, according to the article.

The worsening situation prompted officials to declare a state of emergency in part of Kovin municipality, while another emergency remains in force in Bačka Palanka after a separate fire broke out at the municipal landfill. Elsewhere, firefighters successfully extinguished a blaze at the Srem–Mačva regional landfill.

The wildfire crisis turned deadly on August 6 after one person died in the village of Lučica near Požarevac. According to the head of the Emergency Situations Sector at Serbia's Interior Ministry, the victim reportedly started the fire themselves.

The incident has renewed calls from authorities for extreme caution as scorching temperatures, dry vegetation and gusty winds continue to create ideal conditions for fires.

Rivers reach historic lows

The wildfire emergency is unfolding against the backdrop of an increasingly severe drought that has pushed the Danube and Tisa rivers to exceptionally low levels.

According to Serbia's water management company Vode Vojvodine, the Danube at Bezdan has fallen to minus 167 centimetres, while the level at Bogojevo stands at minus 103 centimetres. Although water levels are expected to remain broadly stable over the coming days, they remain far below normal seasonal levels.

The consequences extend beyond navigation. Critical pumping stations built to supply water to the Danube–Tisa–Danube canal system can no longer operate because the river has fallen well below their design limits.

Engineers are now racing to deepen channels, construct temporary earth embankments and deploy mobile pumping units in an attempt to create an artificial reservoir that would allow water to be transferred into the Bačka canal network.

The Serbian government has allocated RSD270mn (€2.3mn) for urgent works to clean and adapt parts of the Danube–Tisa–Danube canal system, underscoring the growing challenge of managing water resources during prolonged periods of extreme heat.

With temperatures remaining high, forests tinder-dry and rivers at historic lows, Serbia is confronting two interconnected crises at once: a wildfire emergency that continues to stretch firefighting resources and a drought that is exposing vulnerabilities in the country's water infrastructure.