site.btaFire in Southeastern Municipality of Madzharovo Contained, State of Emergency Remains in Effect

Fire in Southeastern Municipality of Madzharovo Contained, State of Emergency Remains in Effect

Haskovo, South Bulgaria, August 1 (BTA) - The fire in the municipality of Madzharovo, located in the East Rhodope Mountains, has been contained. An area of 800 ha was affected, said the head of the task force and Regional Governor, Stanislav Dechev.

The fire has affected 250 ha of deciduous forest. The 200 people, who were directly engaged in putting the fire out, have managed to isolate the pockets that were at risk of spreading to nearby villages. Madhzarovo Mayor Milko Armutliev told BTA that the front-line to the northwest is very wide - around five km. Spreading of the fire, however, has been contained. The state of emergency in the municipality remains in effect until the situation gets back to normal, which is expected soon, Armutliev added.

The task force is concerned that given the expected high temperatures, the fire can erupt again. A total of 53 servicemen from Haskovo were fighting the fire on Monday morning. A specialized continuous track vehicle has been dispatched from the Maritsa East Mines to clear parts of the forest. A fire-fighting helicopter from the Kroumovo Air Base is also helping to extinguish the fire.
 
Regional Administration Spokesperson Neli Vulkanova assured that there is no risk for the nearby villages. The affected deciduous forest is expected to recover. Almost no damage has been caused to agricultural land.

The Haskovo Interior Ministry Directorate is yet to announce the cause of the fire.