MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Sunday, 9 August 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Saturday, 8 August): SENICA/BRATISLAVA - A vegetation fire was reported in the Zahorie Military District near Senica (Trnava region) after Saturday's programme of the Sahara Slovakia 2026 event ended. An intensive firefighting operation is underway to bring the blaze under control as quickly as possible and prevent it from spreading further, Defence Ministry spokesman Michal Bachraty told TASR on Saturday. Dozens of firefighters and a helicopter are currently involved in the operation. The Defence Ministry is deploying additional available resources, with Black Hawk helicopters heading to the area, Bachraty added. "Currently, 21 members of the Firefighter and Rescue Corps with eight vehicles, along with 72 members of volunteer fire brigades with 21 pieces of equipment have been involved in the call-out," the spokesperson said. "A helicopter operated by Heli Company is assisting the units from the air, while a drone from Trencin has also been deployed to monitor the fire site." According to Bachraty, the Defence Ministry is providing maximum support to the units involved in the operation. "The absolute priority at this moment is to bring the fire under control, prevent it from spreading further, and protect lives, health and property," he said, adding that it would be premature to determine the cause of the fire at this stage. The circumstances surrounding its outbreak will be subject to further investigation. BRAVACOVO - The village of Bravacovo (Banska Bystrica region) has declared a state of emergency following an overnight fire that destroyed a total of 10 buildings, mayor Peter Baliak told TASR on Saturday. Work is currently underway to clear the remains of the burned buildings. The mayor said sections of roofs and external walls were being removed, while the remains of ruined farm buildings were being cleared. He expects the work to be completed late on Saturday evening. The village is prepared to provide emergency accommodation for the affected families. "For the time being, however, it appears that this assistance will not be needed," he noted. The residents whose homes burned down have found shelter with family, friends and acquaintances in Bravacovo or neighbouring villages. Bravacovo is also setting up a transparent account and launching a financial collection to help those affected, the mayor said, with the proceeds slated to contribute to the removal of debris. Matus Kondela of the Regional Directorate of the Firefighter and Rescue Corps (HaZZ) in Banska Bystrica said the fire was reported to the emergency line shortly after 11.45 pm on Friday, 7 August. The fire spread to a total of 10 buildings, including five family houses that were also used as holiday cottages and five farm buildings. One person suffered smoke inhalation. Direct material damage has been preliminarily estimated at €400,000. "According to the preliminary findings of the fire investigator who was at the scene, the fire was deliberately started," said Petra Kovacikova, the spokesperson for the Regional Directorate of the Police Corps in Banska Bystrica. BRAVACOVO - A night-time fire in the village of Bravacovo (Banska Bystrica region) affected a total of 10 buildings, with one person suffering smoke inhalation, Matus Kondela of the Regional Directorate of the Firefighter and Rescue Corps (HaZZ) in Banska Bystrica told TASR on Saturday. Kondela added that almost 60 professional and volunteer firefighters attended the scene. Police suspect the fire was started deliberately. According to Kondela, the fire was reported to the emergency services shortly after 11.45 pm on Friday (7 August). It spread to a total of 10 buildings, including five family houses that were also used as holiday cottages. The other five buildings were farm outbuildings. The direct material damage was provisionally estimated at €400,000. A total of 33 HaZZ firefighters using 17 vehicles and 26 volunteer firefighters with nine vehicles were deployed to tackle the blaze. Petra Kovacikova, the spokesperson for the Regional Directorate of the Police Corps in Banska Bystrica, said on Saturday that five houses and several adjacent farm buildings have burned down. "According to the preliminary statement by the fire investigator who was at the scene, the fire was deliberately started," she said. She added that all further circumstances, as well as the exact cause of the fire, will be subject to further investigation. Firefighters from Brezno, Zavadka nad Hronom, Banska Bystrica, Zvolen, Revuca, Pliesovce and Liptovsky Mikulas stations attended the scene. They were also assisted by members of the volunteer fire brigades from the town of Brezno and the villages of Brusno, Benus, Bravacovo, Helpa, Myto pod Dumbierom, Polomka and Zavadka nad Hronom. TRSTIN - Firefighters continue on Saturday to tackle a large forest fire in the area of Trstin in the Trnava region, with the fire affecting an area of approximately 130 hectares, the Firefighter and Rescue Corps (HaZZ) reported on social media. A total of 17 HaZZ personnel with 11 pieces of equipment and 53 volunteer firefighters with 12 pieces of equipment are currently at the scene. Members of the Western AFFF-H module have also been deployed, with drones monitoring the situation from the air. "Many hotspots are located in difficult-to-access terrain, which is why a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter has also been deployed to assist with firefighting from the air," HaZZ said. The operation at the scene is continuing. "Firefighters are currently extinguishing individual hotspots, while chainsaw work is under way to create access to areas where concealed hotspots are still present," HaZZ added. BRATISLAVA - Coalition SNS party chair Andrej Danko has ruled out the possibility of SNS joining forces with other political entities ahead of elections, party spokesperson Zuzana Skopcova told TASR. Danko also announced that the party planned to make changes in the autumn, but did not provide further details. "I have always allowed our nominees to work and have not interfered in their management of the ministries. However, there are some things I will no longer tolerate," he said without elaborating. Danko's remarks could also be interpreted as meaning that SNS will contest the next parliamentary elections only with its own members on its candidate list. In the last election, several candidates who were not SNS members appeared on its slate, including current Sports and Tourism Minister Rudolf Huliak, who is now independent, as well as Environment Minister Tomas Taraba and Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova (both SNS nominees). Danko will no longer take responsibility for "botched zoning plans, wiretapping or other things with which SNS has nothing to do", said Skopcova. In addition, the SNS chair believes that Slovakia's political system needs to be reconsidered, objecting to the fact that MPs elected on a party's candidate list could "practically take [the mandate] and leave". "We must change the political system. Otherwise, political parties will gradually lose their importance, as an MP can leave you the day after an election and keep the mandate they won on your party slate," he added. mf