After the meeting of the Crisis HQ at the Government, Interior Minister Pance Toskovski stated on Wednesday that all of that day’s fires had been put under control.However, he added that there was evidence they had been caused intentionally.
According to the Minister, though he will not reveal details in order not to endanger the preinvestigation, it’s become too symptomatic that as soon as one fire was put out, another one had started and so on. In Cucer Sandevo, the previous day, burned tyres had been found.
“I must note that it’s perhaps about a scenario different than a coincidence. Yesterday, we caught a person that was setting fire in a premeditated manner. He was found and issued the strictest measure, detention. It’s very symptomatic how one fire is neutralised, but a second one begins, how a second one is neutralised, and a third one begins. I’ve been informed by the Interior Ministry they suspect it’s about a certain scenario wanted to be achieved in Macedonia”, Toskovski underlined.
According to the Minister, it’s symptomatic that the fires are next to infrastructure facilities. The fires in Orman, Volkovo, Vizbegovo, Kriva Palanka, and Dojran have been put under control, he explained.
At 6 pm, the Crisis Management Centre stated that there were 21 active outdoor fires in the country. The Skopje ring road traffic has been normalized. Traffic towards the Blace crossing has been open, but only for passenger, not freight vehicles.
When it comes to the owner of the waste company in Vizbegovo where a fire broke out on Wednesday, he was arrested for resisting police. One firefighter was injured in the fire.
It’s not clear whether the license to operate of the old iron waste company is valid.
Also on Wednesday, in the Kriva Palanka region, officers found a dead person near the wildfire in Lozanovo village. Information on the official cause of death will be presented once insight is conducted.