Mountain Wildfire Rages near Bulgaria’s Smolyan

Firefighters, army servicemen and volunteers are trying to contain a forest fire which broke out between two neighbourhoods of Smolyan city, in southern Bulgaria, on Thursday afternoon, bTV reported.

The blaze started around 3.30 p.m. (1330 GMT) between Raikovo and Ustovo neighbourhoods close to two petrol stations and a power transformer station that supplies electricity to half of the city.

Rugged mountainous terrain makes it extremely difficult for fire engines to reach the area of the blaze.

Two Mi-17 helicopters of the Bulgarian Air Force are taking part in fighting the fire that has spread quickly travelling from treetop to treetop helped by dry weather.

People from the nearby houses haven’t been evacuated.

The cause of the wildfire was not immediately known.

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