State of emergency declared in Backa Palanka following major landfill fire

Backa Palanka is a town and municipality located in the South Backa District of the province of Vojvodina, Serbia.

According to the local news portal BAP Vesti, thick smoke continues to blanket the entire town, making it difficult for residents to breathe. Visibility has been significantly reduced in certain areas, and the acrid smell of burning remains heavy in the air as the fire at the landfill has yet to be extinguished.

An N1 reporter on the ground noted that the situation has improved slightly since Wednesday, but that heavy machinery remains on-site, working to contain and smother the blaze.

Petar Pesic, chair of the local branch of the Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP), pointed out in a written statement that this is the third time the landfill has caught fire this year. He noted that the Provincial Government had already allocated approximately 377,000 euro for fire remediation earlier this spring.

“Instead of temporary stop-gap measures and merely ‘extinguishing’ the consequences, citizens deserve answers: why do these fires keep happening, what specific steps have been taken to prevent them, and when will this landfill finally cease to be a threat to public health? People have a right to clean air. They shouldn't have to keep their windows shuttered in the middle of summer, fearing what toxic substances they might be inhaling,” Pesic said.

He stressed that the fire was not an isolated incident, but a serious problem requiring an immediate, permanent solution and the dismissal of all those responsible.