The owners of about 170 houses that were damaged and burned in fires in the previous days, they should have received a non-refundable payment from the state financial assistance, which will range from 200.000 to 800.000 dinars, is foreseen by the decree Government of Serbia, reported N1.
The exact amount of assistance depends on the degree of damage. Those whose houses were completely burned down can receive three to four million dinars.
When the aid will be paid to them is not specified, but the regulation explains the application procedure and determination of damages.
What does the regulation say?
The measures determined by this program are implemented in the part of the territory of the Republic of Serbia in the local self-government units covered by the Decision on the declaration of natural disaster, which the Government adopted at the session held on July 10, 2025 for the following local self-government units: the cities of Prokuplje, Kruševac, Čačak, Kragujevac and Bor and the municipalities: Bojnik, Lebane, Ivanjica,
"During June, and especially in the period between July 7 and 9, 2025, extremely high temperatures were recorded, accompanied by hurricane-force wind gusts that favored the occurrence, spread and outbreak of large-scale fires," states the Decree on determining the state program for assistance and reconstruction of burned and damaged family residential buildings owned by citizens due to the effects of fires in June and July 2025.
Local governments estimated that around 170 residential buildings owned by citizens were damaged in the fires of the past few days.
How much assistance the owners of damaged and destroyed houses will receive depends on the category of damage.
Completely destroyed houses
Namely, according to the Instruction on a unified methodology for assessing damage from natural disasters, which is also referred to in this regulation, the sixth category of damage includes "buildings with a structural system destroyed or demolished".
This means that citizens whose houses were completely destroyed by the fire should receive three to four million dinars in grants from the state, depending on the number of household members.
The regulation provides for assistance from:
- 3.000.000 dinars, for households of one to two members;
- 3.500.000 dinars, for households of three to four members;
- 4.000.000 dinars, for households of five or more members.
A destroyed system of massive constructions means "damage to all load-bearing walls on individual floors and their partial demolition. This also includes smaller buildings built from materials that are not considered massive constructions (walls without mortar, adobe, etc.)".
Damaged houses, but not completely destroyed
When it comes to helping citizens whose houses were not completely destroyed by the fire (those outside the sixth category), the money will be paid out depending on which of the five damage categories they are in.
This is how the provision of non-reimbursable funds is foreseen:
1) for the first category of damage - 200.000 dinars;
2) for the second category of damage - 300.000 dinars;
3) for the third category of damage - 400.000 dinars;
4) for the fourth category of damage - 500.000 dinars;
5) for the fifth category of damage - 800.000 dinars.
Citizens can find out which category the damage belongs to on the Parvno Information System website Instructions on a unique methodology for assessing damage from natural disasters.
According to the aforementioned Instruction, damage can be classified into five categories.
First category
"The first category includes buildings with minor damage to the roof covering, flashings, plaster, glass and chimneys. Minor damage means damage to smaller areas of the roof covering; the appearance of minor cracks on the plastered surfaces - partially fallen plaster; partially cracked glass and a damaged chimney. In the event of floods, buildings with minor damage, which were under water for 24 hours, would be included in the first category. Minor damage means minor damage to plaster, carpentry and damage glass, as well as floor coverings," the Instructions state.
The second category
According to the Instructions, "this includes buildings that are significantly damaged. Significant damage means: damage to a larger area of the roof covering, flashing, glass, chimney collapse and the appearance of significant areas of cracked and fallen plaster from the walls and ceilings, as well as the appearance of minor cracks in the load-bearing walls and many cracks in the partition walls."
Third category
The third category "includes buildings with major damage to the roof structure (in the case of pitched roofs), walls, filling, gable (gable) walls, nazitka, cornices and partition walls and carpentry".
It is explained that major damage means "major damage, i.e. deformation of the load-bearing elements of the roof structure (hangers, posts, cornices and rafters), minor cracks in reinforced concrete columns, major demolition of individual partition walls, lintels, cornices and the appearance of major cracks in the specified parts of the building; major damage to certain parts of the carpentry and deformation of the position of the carpentry".
"Buildings with more damage that have been under water for 24 hours or longer can be included in the category of buildings damaged by the flood. By more damage is meant damage to the facade of the building, more deformation of the carpentry, cracked and fallen plaster from the walls and ceilings, damage to the walls at the moment of the flood, as well as various damage to the installations," the Instructions state.
Fourth category
The fourth category "includes buildings with more extensive damage to columns and roof structures (in the case of pitched roofs), infill walls and partition walls, as well as installations. More extensive damage to columns means numerous cracks, and the roof structure means the collapse of certain parts of it, i.e. its pronounced deformation".
"Extensive damage to infill walls and partition walls means the partial collapse of a large number of those walls, collapse and large deformations. Damage to installations means damage that prevents the functioning of the installation due to faults caused as a result of the earthquake," the Instruction says.
Fifth category
"This includes buildings with damage or deformation of certain structural elements, along with damage from the previous category, as well as damage to installations. The term damage to structural elements means damage or deformation of the supporting structure of individual columns with diagonal cracks, cracks at structural nodes and other structural damage that can be repaired. The occurrence of the aforementioned damage also applies to vertical communications (stairs and elevators)," the Instructions state.
How is damage reported?
"The procedure for providing assistance is initiated by reporting damage in accordance with the Law on Reconstruction after Natural and Other Disasters," the new regulation states.
This law states that the local self-government unit "without delay, and at the latest within 15 days from the announcement of the end of the natural and other natural disasters, calls on citizens to report the resulting damage within a period that cannot be shorter than 15 nor longer than 60 days from the date of publication of the invitation".
Exceptionally, in the case of prevention, the damage report can be made within 15 days from the day the prevention ceases, and no later than six months from the date of publication of the invitation, according to the law.
Damage assessment
When it comes to damage assessment, the law stipulates that the local self-government unit "without delay forms the required number of commissions that assess the damage caused after natural and other disasters to citizens' belongings"...
In the just-adopted regulation, it is foreseen that the Ministry of Public Investments "verifies the assessment of damage, which was carried out by the commissions formed by the local self-government unit, in accordance with the Law".
"After reporting the damage, determining, evaluating and verifying the damage, the local self-government unit authority continues the procedure for determining the right to state aid, inviting the party to declare the verified report on the damage assessment and other relevant circumstances of importance for determining the right to state aid. The first-instance decision on the right to aid, according to the conducted procedure, applying the criteria and criteria from this state aid and reconstruction program, is made by the competent body of the local self-government unit and delivers it to the applicant," the decree reads.
The applicant can appeal against the first-instance decision - the appeal is submitted to the Commission for determining damage from natural disasters, which makes the final decision.
An administrative dispute can be initiated against the final decision.
Against the decision of the Administrative Court, a request for review of the court decision can be submitted to the Supreme Court.
Payment will be made when the Ministry receives the final decision
"Upon receipt of the final decisions on state aid, the Ministry of Public Investments will pay the recipient of the aid to his current account specified in the first-instance decision of the local self-government unit that is submitted to the ministry," the decree states.
The Government of Serbia has estimated that 600 million dinars are needed for the implementation of this regulation.
Source: H1
