North Macedonia, Kosovo border crossing closed again due to wildfire
Citizens urged to avoid area until fire extinguished, traffic returns to normal, says Foreign Ministry
Wildfire near North Macedonia-Kosovo border shuts Blace-Elez Han crossing
ISTANBUL
The largest border crossing between North Macedonia and Kosovo has been temporarily closed again Wednesday due to a wildfire, according to the North Macedonian Interior Ministry.
🇲🇰 | 🇽🇰 The largest border crossing between North Macedonia and Kosovo has been temporarily closed again due to a wildfire
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) July 9, 2025
🔥 Citizens have been urged to avoid the area until the fire is extinguished, and traffic returns to normal https://t.co/aELVYf6Nyl pic.twitter.com/kX70om7yNE
It said the road leading to the Blace-Elez Han Border Crossing in both directions was closed to traffic due to the reignition of the fire that broke out last weekend on the North Macedonian side.
The statement noted that measures are being taken in coordination with relevant institutions to extinguish the fire.
Citizens were urged to avoid the area until the fire is extinguished and traffic returns to normal.
Meanwhile, firefighting efforts are ongoing at a landfill site near the North Macedonian capital, Skopje, where a fire broke out midday.
The Blace-Elez Han Border Crossing had been closed Sunday due to a forest fire, but was later reopened.
The North Macedonian government declared a 30-day "state of crisis" across the country Monday because of the increasing number of forest fires.
