site.btaFire in Kresna Gorge Renewed, No Danger for Local Settlements

Sofia, August 28 (BTA) - Contrary to expectations to be put out completely on Sunday, the fire in Kresna Gorge (Southwestern Bulgaria) loomed up again during the night, but the local settlements are not threatened directly. There were several grave situations while the fire was being put out during the night between Sunday and Monday, Fire Safety and Protection of the Population Chief Directorate Director Nikolai Nikolov told a news briefing on Monday. The gravest situation was around the fire in the direction of Vlahi, but things did not reach the point to evacuate people.

In spite of the damages the five-day fire has caused, no people have been harmed.

A source of the state-owned forest management company for Southwestern Bulgaria said on Sunday that the fire has caused "an environmental catastrophe" and that it will take between 13 million and 15 million leva to finance the planting of new trees and at least 50 years to restore the forests which have been brought to ashes. The prosecution and the police are working to establish the reason for the fire in the Kresna Gorge on Thursday.

Nikolov said at the briefing that there were 206 fires on the territory of Bulgaria which were put out successfully. There were three larger fires on the territory of Shoumen and Sliven where dozens of acres of forest went under. Seven uninhabited houses and barns were burn in Nevestino, in the southwestern area of Kyustendil.