Angelov: Fire near Lopatitsa fully extinguished
Director Stojanche Angelov says the main fire line is out and only one active branch remains above Bonche; crews remain on site to prevent reactivation.
Fire that threatened the village of Lopatitsa overnight has been fully extinguished, the director of the Directorate for Protection and Rescue, Stojanche Angelov, said this morning.
Angelov said the villages of Bonche, Podmolje and Lopatitsa are now safe, but he warned residents to remain careful because a single spark landing on dry grass can trigger a large blaze.
Containment work and firefighting crews
According to Angelov, the fire front that had been visible from the Prilep–Bitola regional road has been completely put out, with only one remaining active branch high above the village of Bonche.
He expressed gratitude to the Prilep firefighters and volunteer units mobilised through the Directorate for Protection and Rescue: "A big thanks to the Prilep firefighters who last night, with a counter fire they carried out along a firebreak previously made with machinery close to the village of Lopatitsa, managed to stop the fire and prevent it from crossing the break and threatening Podmolje."
Angelov said crews from Prilep and two Pincgauer teams are positioned to monitor the area and act if the line reactivates. He added that the Mariovo side of the blaze has been extinguished or brought fully under control and expressed cautious optimism: "I am optimistic that today we have the chance to deliver the final blow and, to my surprise, completely extinguish this largest fire of the season."
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