Angelov: Pelister fire under control; priority was to keep flames out of the park's quality forest
Director of the Directorate for Protection and Rescue says the most complex blazes are at Pelister and near Gradec; ground crews, police and army helicopters are engaged.
Stojanche Angelov, director of the Directorate for Protection and Rescue (DPR), said the fire that began two days ago on the Prespa side at the foot of Pelister has been brought under control after intensive interventions by ground teams.
"During the night and this morning we fought a fierce battle with the tongues of flame. I can say that the fire has been brought under control and that the fire line, which yesterday in the afternoon slipped away from us, has been stopped," Angelov said. He described the blaze as one of the most difficult forest fires this season and stressed that the main objective was to prevent flames from entering the park's high-quality forest.
Ground crews and helicopters remain on the front line
Firefighters from Resen and Bitola, DPR teams equipped with five specialized Pinzgauer vehicles, volunteer brigades and crews from National Forests are working on the ground. An army helicopter has been used for aerial firefighting with a bucket that carries three tonnes of water, and, if needed, both of the DPR's "ertraktori" will be deployed.
Angelov also identified a second serious fire near the village of Gradec in the Municipality of Vrapchishte, where the flames have affected pine forest on steep, difficult terrain. "This morning, a police helicopter began operating, which draws water from a nearby lake and intervenes every five-six minutes. The helicopter significantly helps in stopping the spread of the fire towards the village," the DPR director added.
Gostivar firefighters are engaged at Gradec, and additional forces will be sent if necessary. Angelov reported that more than 23 open-space fires were registered yesterday, of which seven remained active this morning, while the other active blazes currently do not pose a serious threat to settlements or valuable forest complexes.
He appealed to citizens to remain extremely cautious, underlining that although September is beginning, the fire risk remains very high.
Photo: Printskrin
