site.btaWildfire at Chepelare Contained, Smouldering Sections Being Put Out

The major wildfire near Chepelare has been contained, and smouldering sections continue to be extinguished, BTA learnt from Zdravko Bakalov, Director of the South Central State Forest Company in Smolyan. Two Bulgarian Air Force helicopters from the Krumovo Air Base are joining the firefighting effort on Thursday.

The blaze, that has been raging for a fourth day running above the village of Hvoina near Chepelare, has destroyed over 100 hectares of woodland, according to information of the State Forest Company. Bakalov said that the fire is difficult to put out because the area is inaccessible by road and the older trees have amassed a large quantity of resin. 

Heavy tracked vehicles will continue to make clearings to the areas on fire. There is no risk of the flames reaching the nearest settlements: the villages of Hvoina and Studenets, the State Forest Company said.

A Mi-17 and AD 532 AL Cougar helicopters will assist in fighting the fire.

Between August 18 and 30, the Bulgarian Air Force helped extinguish seven fires countrywide, the Defence Ministry said in a press release on Thursday. The chopper crews spent over 50 hours in the airs, and on some days the service persons logged up to 10 hours' flight time. Over 50 tonnes of water was delivered for the aerial firefighting. Most of the missions were accomplished in difficult and hazardous conditions: overflying a rugged terrain, high air temperature, smoke, wind gusts and violent turbulence. Despite these difficulties and the broad fronts of the fire, the helicopter crews have performed their tasks successfully, the Ministry said.