site.btaMore than 500 People Fighting Large Fire over Kresna Gorge

Blagoevgrad, Southwestern Bulgaria, August 25 (BTA) - Hundreds of people renewed their effort to put out a fire in Mount Pirin over the Kresna Gorge at 5 a.m. on Friday. The blaze, which broke out in the early afternoon on Thursday and soon spread across 700 hectares of mixed forests, is being fought by 530 people, including 124 firefighters, hundreds of forestry workers, 40 volunteers and 85 servicepersons. Two helicopters from the Kroumovo Air Base have been committed to the effort, said Fire Service Director Nikolai Nikolov, who heads the emergency centre.

The village of Stara Kresna was saved from destruction thanks to the hard work of firefighters and local people, Nikolov said. The situation was critical for the village in the small hours on Friday.

People were evacuated from two settlements late on Thursday.

"No population centres are in danger right now," Interior Minister Valentin Radev told a news briefing on Friday morning. Police have been called to protect private property in the affected areas.

Three houses burned down in Oshtava. No one was injured, Kresna Municipality Mayor Nikolai Georgiev said.