site.btaTwo Wildfires Raging in Rila Mountains, Over 260 Hectares Affected

A wildfire erupted in the Rila Mountains on Tuesday evening at an altitude of 2,200 m, the Kyustendil Police told BTA on Wednesday. The fire,  believed to have been caused by a lightning, has so far affected an area of 25 hectares above the Iliyna River and the Rila Monastery Nature Park.

The police said that a helicopter has joined the efforts to extinguish the high-altitude fire. Participating are firefighting teams from Kyustendil,  Dupnitsa, Bobov Dol, Rila, and Blagoevgrad, employees of Rila National Park, a team of the Rila Monastery and the Rila Monastery Nature Park, as well as volunteers.

Another wildfire in Rila, which has been raging since August 28 on the territory of Rila National Park, has affected 260 hectares, Park Director Krassimir Andonov told BTA on Wednesday. He specified that late on Tuesday afternoon, there had been local rain with hail. The rainfall was not heavy, but according to him, it helped significantly to stop the fire from spreading during the night.

Service persons from the Land Forces continue to participate in extinguishing the fire in Rila National Park below Ismailitsa Peak, the press centre of the Ministry of Defence said. The 3rd Mechanized Battalion-Blagoevgrad, consisting of 20 soldiers with one piece of equipment, led by Senior Lieutenant Ivan Dukov, continues its efforts to control and overcome the consequences of the fire.