Macut thanks firefighters, police, army and others involved in fighting fires

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Djuro Macut thanked on Wednesday all members of fire and rescue units, the police and the army as well as voluntary firefighters and civil defence members, public service employees and the brave citizens who had invested superhuman efforts and made an immeasurable contribution in the fight against fires raging in several areas in Serbia.

He said 2,037 fire and rescue crew members, 721 vehicles, a helicopter unit with three aircraft, more than one hundred police officers as well as hundreds of civilians who had taken part in the firefighting efforts were a testimony to the strength of Serbia's unity and organisation in times of major challenges, the Serbian government said in a statement.

Thanks to their self-sacrifice, the fires have been stopped from spreading, lives have been saved and thousands of buildings, agricultural crops and forests have been preserved, Macut noted.

"I express special gratitude to all who have risked their lives in the defence of others, and I wish the injured service members and citizens a speedy and full recovery. It is especially encouraging that, in spite of a high number of interventions and extensive damage, there have been no fatalities," Macut said.

That proves that Serbia is strong when it acts in unity, Macut noted, adding that the government had secured funds for post-fire recovery and would continue to invest in the fire protection and rescue system.