site.btaPM, Interior Minister Say Fire Situation in Troyan Pass "Very Serious"

Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev and Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov are in the village of Karnare in the Central Balkan Mountains where several fires are raging on an area of some 100 hectares in Steneto Reserve. The area is very hard to access and people with Alpine training are best qualified to help, Glavchev said on Saturday.

The outbreaks cannot be accessed from below, the helicopters which fought the fire at Voden in Southeastern Bulgaria flew over in the morning and eased things considerably, the Prime Minister said.
 
Steneto is the second largest reserve in the Central Balkan National Park. The fire is spreading through a deciduous forest in an area covered with screes and precipices.

Interior Minister Stoyanov also stressed that the fire has not been contained and that it is burning in steep cliffs with crevices. The blaze is being tackled mainly by two helicopters from Czechia, mountaineers, 40 servicemen, firefighters from Karlovo (Central Bulgaria), the wildfire fighting force and Central Balkan Park rangers.

Stoyanov said that once the situation is under control, the Interior Ministry will investigate if the fire was started deliberately.

Commenting on President Rumen Radev's visit to Bolyarovo on Saturday, Glavchev said: "We were the first on the ground, the good thing is that others have followed, now that the situation is somewhat under control."

The Prime Minister also said the Social Assistance Agency had not been contacted about temporary accommodation for the victims of the fire in Bolyarovo. Earlier in the day, Radev suggested that containers from two refugee centres in Southern Bulgaria be delivered to all who lost their homes to that fire.