site.btaFire in Mount Rila Put under Control

Fire in Mount Rila Put
under
Control

Kyustendil, Southwestern Bulgaria, July 25 (BTA) - The fire in
the Rila Mountain has been put under control, Head of the
Southwestern Forestry Unit Damyan Damyanov said at noon on
Saturday. However, the fire is still burning. Damyanov said it
is impossible to tell when the fire is going to be fully
quenched as there is a smoldering layer of several centimeters.
Round-the-clock observation will be ensured for several more
days to prevent against new inflammations, he said.

The forestry official said there is no danger for the Rila
Monastery or the population in the area.

The fire affected an area of about 15 ha of grass and bush, and
a bit of a wooded area, at an altitude of about 2100 m in a
hard-to-reach terrain with a 45-degree gradient.

About 290 people joined in the efforts to extinguish the fire,
including firefighters, park workers, servicemen and volunteers.
 Two helicopters of the Bulgarian Armed Forces participated as
well, pouring more than 25 t of water.

A temporary task force has been set up at the Rila Monastery
headed by Director of the Fire Safety and Protection of the
Population Directorate General, Chief Commissar Nikolai Nikolov.
 Defence Minister Nikolai Nenchev and Chief of Defence Vice
Admiral Roumen Nikolov are there too.

Experts from the Southwestern Forestry Unit think that the fire
was caused by human negligence.