A Ray of Hope: The Fire in Pirin National Park Has Been Contained

The fire in Pirin National Park has been contained — a glimmer of hope on the 21st day of the battle against the blaze near Ilindentsi. Two hotspots continue to challenge firefighters, forestry workers, military personnel and volunteers. The question now is: what are the chances of extinguishing them completely?

We begin with the good news — the fire has not spread to new areas of Pirin National Park. Today, August 14, efforts are focused on tackling the two remaining hotspots. Here’s where they are. On the ground, more than 150 people are at work, supported from the air by two military helicopters. On the 21st day since the start of the operation, exhaustion has set in. But what does a typical working day look like for these crews?

For over 20 days, they have been working twelve-hour shifts. This is the daily reality for the teams fighting the wildfire in the Southwest — firefighters and forestry workers, assisted by the army and volunteers.

Ivan Rizov, Director of the Strumyani State Forestry Enterprise:
“The staff of the state forestry enterprises, which areas were affected by the fire have barely rotated. They have been on the ground since day one. The people are truly exhausted now.”

Among them is Stoyan Choukev, a forestry worker.

Stoyan Choukev:
“In the morning we get up at 5:30 so we can reach the site on time — it’s a long walk, an hour to an hour and a half on foot to get there. Just when we think the fire has stopped, a slightly stronger wind blows and within seconds a hotspot flares up. We patrol constantly, making sure it doesn’t reignite. In the evening, we return around 18:00–18:30 and get home by about 20:00. Unfortunately, it often turns into more than 12 hours of work, but the most important thing is to save the forest.”

A ray of hope for the firefighters today.

Ivan Rizov:
“The outbreak on the border with Pirin National Park is now contained. The situation with the lower outbreak is a bit more complicated, but today the teams will strive to contain it and extinguish as much as possible.”

Helicopters continue to support the ground crews.

Ivan Rizov:
“Given the difficult terrain, the main work will be carried out along the perimeter by creating clearings and firebreaks. Carrying water up on our backs is difficult.”

The Pirin fire is one of the largest in Bulgaria in recent years and is believed to have destroyed more forested areas than any other blaze in the country.

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