site.btaFire Burning on Bulgarian-Greek Border Covers 7-10 Hectares of Bulgarian Territory

Between 7 and 10 hectares of the Bulgarian territory is currently covered by the fire, which is burning on the Bulgarian-Greek border, Katuntsi State Forestry Director Plamen Poyukov told BTA on Sunday. He added that the fire is low-lying, but the area where it is developing is very rugged and very inaccessible. 

"Our colleagues leave in 5 am, travel about an hour and a half by car, and then walk about an hour and a half to get to the site of the fire. It is rocky, very inaccessible and rugged," said Poyukov. These are declared reserves, which means that there is no logging and there is a lot of dead wood that is constantly smouldering and is a prerequisite for a fire. Even if a person thinks he has put it out, it smolders and the moment the temperatures rise, ignition occurs again, he explained. 

At the moment the fire is active, the Bulgarian and the Greek authorities are continuing to extinguish it and trying to control it, but the perimeter is very large and the temperatures are very high, which makes the work difficult, said Poyukov. 

On Sunday, firefighters and servicemen continue with the extinguishing efforts, including with aerial equipment. So far, the Greeks have fought the fire only with aerial equipment, but on Sunday they have also let people who have passed through Bulgarian territory to enter, as the fire front is almost on the border strip and there are also mine fields in the area, Katuntsi State Forestry Director explained. 

Poyukov also said that these ignitions caused by with dead wood will be a potential risk for a very long time, or at least until heavy rain falls to extinguish everything. 

Since Saturday, the situation with the fire on the Bulgarian-Greek border has been quite severe, Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov said earlier on Sunday.