Dense black smoke spread over a wide area of Skopje after a fire broke out at an improvised landfill in the Madjari neighborhood. Electrical cables were burning near the church behind the railway tracks, and the smoke was visible from multiple municipalities, alarming city residents.

Inspectors from Gazi Baba municipality and Skopje firefighters arrived at the scene immediately and worked to extinguish the fire. The Crisis Management Center informed the public about the incident. Authorities are working to determine who ignited the cable waste at the landfill.

The burning of cables and plastic in the open is a source of highly toxic smoke containing heavy metals and dioxins. Inspections regularly emphasize that such illegal burning poses a serious health risk to residents, especially children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions.

Skopje has faced similar incidents at landfills before, periodically creating air pollution. The competent institutions call on citizens to report any illegal waste burning to the appropriate municipal services or police.