site.btaHelicopters Involved in Firefighting Efforts in Slavyanka Mountain - Fire Chief

Helicopters have been involved in the firefighting efforts in Slavyanka mountain on the Bulgarian-Greek border, the Director of the Interior Ministry's General Directorate for Fire Safety and Civil Protection, Chief Commissioner Alexander Dzhartov, told BTA on Sunday. "We still do not have access to all fronts. Even though we have deployed helicopters, we still cannot contain this fire because it has spread over a large area and access is very limited," Dzhartov said.

"The two Swedish aircraft were also deployed to fight the fire before noon. Two Air Force helicopters, which had been used to fight a fire near the village of Senokos in Simitli [Municipality, Southwestern Bulgaria], also took part in the firefighting operations in the afternoon. It had also rained in the area, but it was not enough to put out the fire," the Chief Commissioner said.

Efforts are being made to extinguish a fire that broke out near Senokos on Thursday. There is no immediate danger to the settlements in both places, Dzhartov said. He noted that a fire that had recently started in the municipality of Strumyani in the direction of the southwestern village of Tsaparevo had been extinguished.

A fire started by a lightning strike below Mount Sharalia in the Pirin Mountains on Saturday has been localized, Pirin National Park Director Rosen Banenski told BTA earlier on Sunday. He added that the terrain poses an enormous challenge with its steep slopes, and Pirin National Park employees will remain engaged with suppression efforts as the weather is very dry and there are still active hotspots.