As firefighters in southern Kosovo sought divine intervention for rain in their fight against wildfires in the Sharr Mountains National Park, a young man on a motorbike arrived and declared: "I am here to help." Allmedin Smaili, a 26-year-old dentist from the nearby town of Prizren, has been aiding the firefighters for a week to extinguish a blaze in the park, a favorite spot for him and his friends to ride their motorbikes over rugged terrain. At the fire department base, two men fill backpack waterbags, each holding 25 liters, which Smaili then transports to other firefighters to use in battling the flames as vast swaths of pine trees are consumed.
Typically, he carries two backpacks, totaling 50 liters of water, along with food and bottles of drinking water. "When I witnessed the hardships faced by the firefighters and their unwavering dedication, I decided I must contribute," Smaili explained as he readied to transport more water. On Wednesday, Smaili enlisted the help of three friends to transport additional water as a breeze halted the flames, and a US helicopter from the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo began dropping water. The task at hand is to prevent slow-burning trees from reigniting into a more devastating fire.
"To reach the highest point with water on our backs takes us three hours, but this young man (Smaili) does it in under 10 minutes," remarked Flamur Hoti, the firefighters' commander. "We never anticipated he could be so instrumental." Footage from his GoPro camera captures Smaili delivering water to his new colleagues as his motorbike races along trails carved by brown bears and wild goats. Steep slopes flank his path, with remnants of old burned areas still discernible. Fire trucks are unable to access the terrain, situated approximately 1,900 meters above sea level.
"Cross motor-bike riding is a hobby of mine, but this week it has become a genuine job," he said with a smile. "Seeing the difference I make brings me joy, and I never felt fatigue during these days."
