Dacic: We needed large-capacity planes to fight Deliblato Sands wildfire, EU did not have that

Photo: MUP Srbije

Minister of Internal Affairs of Serbia Ivica Dacic said on Monday that Serbia was in daily communication with the European Union mechanism for civil protection because of the wildfire in Deliblato Sands, but that what we needed, they did not have - namely, large capacity airplanes and helicopters.

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Dacic thanked the EU for sending four helicopters and a team of firefighters, and reminded that the capacity of those helicopters is 3.5 tons of water, while our helicopters' capacity is 5.6 tons.

"Air Tractors have a carrying capacity of 3.5 tons. The carrying capacity of the Ilyushin (that Russia sent to Serbia), which I think was extinguished (wildfires in Serbia) in 2007 as well, is 42 tons. When you look at that, Ilyushi has five to six deployments a day, that's 200, 210, 250 tons of water a day. Our helicopters, our Kamovs, drop 60 tons a day," Dacic said in the Serbian National Assembly, in response to opposition deputy Robert Kozma, who said the response to the Deliblato Sands wildfire was late and inadequate.

Dacic said that people fighting the fire in Deliblato Sands are making greatest efforts and noted that one of the problems is using ground based machines.

"That's the European Sahara. A heavy firefighting vehicle cannot go there," the minister said of Deliblato Sands.

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)