Attempts to extinguish the large forest fire above the village of Gorno Osenovo continue for the third day.
The fire is on the territory of the “Rila“ National Park. Today, over 65 people - employees of the “Rila“ National Park, firefighters, foresters and military continue to fight the elements in the area of the “White Stones“ area.
“The terrain is extremely difficult to access - with steep slopes of over 70% and heights of up to 2200 meters. The lack of water on site makes the work difficult. The rain helped, but it was not enough to completely control the fires“, explained to bTV Ch. Inspector Yulian Petrov from the Blagoevgrad fire department.
The use of aircraft is not planned for today. The work is mainly done with chainsaws and hand tools.
Today, the firefighting is focused on areas with burning dry trees, bushes and branches. In the subalpine belt, in the direction of the peaks of Kapatnik and Skachkovets, the dry grass has been extinguished.
The teams are divided into two main groups, on the periphery, to prevent the spread of the fire.
In recent days, firefighters have responded to over 20 incidents in Southwestern Bulgaria. The fires near the villages of Valkovo, Igralishte and in the Strumyani region have also been localized.
„There are currently 30 people on the ground above the village of Igralishte. The fire is under control, but patrols continue. The terrain there is also difficult, but access is easier, thanks to an available road, which allows the use of equipment and water,“ added Chief Inspector Petrov.