Emergency services are still trying to contain a wildfire in the Deliblatska Peščara forest reserve, about 60 km east of Belgrade, that has been burning since early August. A small hamlet on the reserve’s edge was evacuated when winds pushed flames toward homes as Serbia hit 39C. The European Forest Fire Information System has flagged extreme fire danger across the wider Balkans, Ukraine and Russia for the period 20–26 August 2026.
What this means on the ground
Croatia and southern Albania have seen active fires through the summer, and Serbia is now the most persistent trouble spot. Airports, train services and coastal ferries are running normally, and the region’s main tourist centres — Belgrade, Dubrovnik, Split, Kotor, Tirana, Sarajevo and Skopje — are open. Disruption is concentrated in rural areas near active blazes: back roads, national park sections and semi-rural villages where evacuation orders can arrive with little notice.
Rail travellers between Belgrade and Vršac should expect possible slow orders where the line runs close to the Deliblatska Peščara reserve. Domestic flights and international arrivals into Nikola Tesla Airport are unaffected.
Where the risk is highest
Extreme conditions are forecast in inland Serbia, eastern Bosnia, northern Montenegro and continental Croatia through the week. Coastal Albania and the Croatian islands remain fire-prone. If you are heading to national parks, check park authority updates the morning of your visit: Plitvice Lakes, Krka, Durmitor, Sutjeska and Tara Canyon have all recorded elevated fire ratings this month.
Along the Adriatic, sea breezes have kept temperatures more manageable, but the mainland corridor from Kotor inland into Montenegro’s Piva and Durmitor regions is running 4–6C above seasonal norms.
What we would do this week
If you are mid-trip, shift outdoor activity to early morning and after 18:00, carry more water than you think you need, and keep a mask handy for smoke drift. Avoid barbecues, cigarettes and any open flame outside built-up areas — several Balkan countries have introduced spot fines running into four figures for fires started by tourists.
If you are still booking, September and October read as better options than the last week of August. Our guide to the Balkans in September covers cooler temperatures, thinner crowds and the same swimming season along the coast. For a shoulder-season base that dodges the interior heat, the Albanian Riviera and Bay of Kotor still work well into mid-October.
Register with your embassy if you are travelling in rural Serbia or eastern Bosnia this week, and monitor the Copernicus EMS map alongside national civil-protection updates before setting out on any forest hike.