Wildfire in Rila: Firefighting Efforts Continue for a Third Consecutive Day

The situation with the wildfire in the 'Rila Monastery' Nature Park remains critical. Thanks to military helicopters that spent the entire day yesterday dousing the area with water, the blaze has now been reduced from a crown fire back to a ground-level fire.

Forty-five firefighters and forestry workers from the Kyustendil region are actively engaged in extinguishing the flames. The rugged and hard-to-reach terrain is making their work significantly more difficult.

One of the main obstacles for the firefighters and volunteers battling the blaze is an old, over two-kilometre-long tunnel, which experts say is dangerous.

"The terrain is extremely challenging and requires trained personnel. Personally, I wouldn’t enter the tunnel, to be honest—but there are brave people who will," said Dimitar Grigorov, Director of the Rila Monastery Nature Park Directorate.

"Only trained professionals are participating because the situation is complex and constantly changing," commented Chief Inspector Stefan Tahtadzhijski, head of the Regional Fire Safety and Civil Protection Department – Rila.

A military helicopter was once again deployed today to assist in the firefighting efforts. Yesterday, two aircraft helped localize the fire and push it down to ground level.

"A lot of good work was done yesterday, but there’s still heavy smoke, fallen timber, strong winds, and rapidly changing conditions," said Tahtadzhijski.

There is currently no threat to nearby settlements or the Rila Monastery itself. However, around 500 decares (approximately 123 acres) of pine forest and dry grassland have burned. Wildlife in the area has also been affected.

"Due to the movement of many people and heavy equipment, the animals have already relocated to other areas. The timber is now unusable," stated Dimitar Grigorov.

Park officials are urging all visitors to the mountain to act responsibly and to immediately report any signs of fire to emergency number 112.