A large part of the fire near Voden village has been contained, said Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov at a briefing. “Yesterday, the situation there was extremely difficult, with the wind which was constantly changing direction making things even harder. Many of the people from the village refused to leave their homes and had to be evacuated forcibly,” Minister Stoyanov said. Some 10 houses have burnt down in the village, BNR’s correspondent reports.

“Analyzing the entire situation, we turned to our neighbours from Turkey for help who returned the gesture from a year and a half ago, when they suffered a major earthquake. Parallel with the efforts in the village of Voden, it is important to secure the neighbouring Sharkovo, Kraynovo and Gorska Polyana because the gas transmission station Strandzha is located there,” added Kalin Stoyanov. “Even the gendarmerie is involved in the efforts to put out the fire with their water cannons. What is most important is that there has been no loss of life and no one has been injured,” Minister Stoyanov stated.

Two helicopters from Czechia have also joined the efforts to extinguish the flames in Srednogorie.

Photos: BGNES, BTA