site.btaFires within Bulgaria Brought Under Control, Says General Directorate of Fire Safety

As of 10:30 a.m. on August 8, the fires within the country have been brought under control, said the General Directorate of Fire Safety and Protection of the Population on Thursday.

Fires on the Bulgarian-Greek border continue to remain active. Overall there are 60 employees of the State Forest Service with 16 fire engines, 36 employees of the State Forestry with 10 all-terrain vehicles, 40 military personnel, and an airplane from Spain fighting the fires.

Plamen Poyukov, Director of the State Forestry in the village of Katuntsi, said that on Thursday again 120 forest officials, firefighters and military personnel, as well as the two Spanish planes will be on the ground to fight the fire in the Slavyanka Mountains. "The situation seems calm for now. People have been assigned to both fires, and Spanish planes are also scheduled to extinguish them", he pointed out adding that as of Thursday morning, the fire is contained.

Poyukov warned that there is a possibility that a new hotspot will open in about two to three days. According to him, extinguishing the fires will take time, because there are a number of local hotspots that are still active.