site.btaWildfire in Rila National Park Contained

The wildfire in Rila National Park has been contained, Chief Inspector Yuliyan Petrov of the Fire Safety and Civil Protection Directorate General at the Interior Ministry in Blagoevgrad told BTA. Five firefighting teams remain on site, supported by 20 military personnel, as well as staff from the State Forestry Enterprise and the Rila National Park administration.

“I cannot provide an exact estimate of the affected area. It covers more than 20 hectares, but the precise figure will be determined once colleagues from the National Park conduct measurements,” Petrov said.

According to him, at 6:00 a.m. on Monday, teams set out from the village of Dolno Osenovo toward the fire site. “We will keep a team on the ground overnight. The rain helped to some extent, but it was not sufficient,” he added.

The blaze broke out several days ago in the Rila Mountains, within the territory of Rila National Park, near the village of Dolno Osenovo in the Simitli Municipality.