Serbia battles wildfires as record heat wave scorches Balkans

Serbia scrambled firefighting helicopters and called in the army on Friday as nine separate wildfires burned across the country, with the most serious blaze threatening a protected nature reserve northeast of Belgrade.

Thick smoke drifted over pine forests near Deliblatska Pescara, a nature reserve about 65 kilometers from the capital, as water-dropping helicopters worked to contain the flames. Another major fire raged near the central town of Kraljevo. Villagers from the nearby settlement of Sumarak were asked to leave their homes as a precaution, though authorities said no houses had caught fire and no casualties had been reported.

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said after an emergency meeting that the army had been brought in to support firefighting efforts. The government urged all state companies to provide equipment and personnel to help tackle the blazes. Dacic described the situation as "not critical" despite the number of active fires.

Strong winds across the Balkan nation on Friday complicated efforts to contain the blazes, which have been fueled by days of dry weather and temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

The fires are part of a broader heat wave that has gripped Europe for weeks, setting national temperature records in multiple countries and straining energy systems from Western Europe to the Balkans. Slovakia and Austria both recorded all-time high temperatures this week, with the Slovak village of Dolne Plachtince hitting 42.2 C (108 F) and the Austrian village of Bad Deutsch-Altenburg reaching 41.2 C (106.2 F). Hungary recorded its warmest overnight temperature on record, with Budapest staying at 28 C (82 F).

Italy placed all major cities under the highest heat alert on Thursday, signaling a health risk for the entire population.

Prolonged drought has left major rivers like the Danube and Rhine at critically low levels, forcing energy operators to adapt. Romania continued an operation to sink rock-laden barges into the Danube to redirect water toward its nuclear plant, which relies on river water for cooling. Hungary's only nuclear plant reduced output to about 10 percent of normal production, prompting the government to ask businesses and the public to cut electricity use.

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said Friday that slightly cooler weather and rising Danube water levels meant energy-saving measures could be suspended, thanking citizens for their cooperation. He warned that more hot, dry weather in the forecast could cause levels to drop again.

Slovakia's largest hydroelectric plant shut down seven of its eight turbines, while Germany faced concerns over the impact of low Rhine water levels on transportation and industry. Moldova, which relies heavily on imported electricity, urged citizens to voluntarily reduce usage during peak hours.

Firefighters in neighboring Montenegro were also battling blazes near the town of Cetinje and other locations along the Adriatic coast.