Bulgaria Doesn't Need International Help for Putting Off Vitosha Fire

Nikolay Nikolov, head of Bulgaria's Fire Brigade and Civil Protection Directorate. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria does not need international assistance to cope with the wildfire that has been raging since Sunday in the Vitosha Mountain near Sofia, according to an official.

"We do not need international assistance at the moment, but if a neighboring country itself declares that it can help, we will accept," Nikolay Nikolov, head of the Fire Brigade and Civil Protection Directorate, has declared.

"I thank the volunteers for their responsiveness. However, we do not need more volunteers at the moment," Nikolov has told reporters, adding that more volunteers might be called on Wednesday or Thursday if necessary.

The wildfire in the Bistrishko Branishte resersve started at about 2 pm on Sunday. It has affected an area of approximately 15 acres and is Vitosha's largest for the last 10 years.

Two army helicopters and one helicopter owned by a private company, 110 volunteers, 90 firefighters, 70 forest rangers, 35 Defense Ministry employees and 12 employees of the Envoronment Ministry are currently combatting the fire.

Earlier on Tuesday, Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov said the wildfire was not growing.

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