Teams deployed to Edirne border over fire in Bulgaria

EDİRNE

A forest fire that erupted near the Türkiye-Bulgaria border has been largely brought under control, as Turkish authorities have positioned firefighting vehicles and teams at the Edirne border in case the flames spread to the country.

The forest fire, which broke out late on Sept. 2 in the eastern part of Bulgaria, advanced towards the Edirne border with the effect the strong wind.

Teams from the Edirne Forestry Directorate and the municipality were dispatched to the border as a precautionary measure. Bulgarian firefighting teams continued their efforts over the day, and as a precaution, four villages in Bulgaria were evacuated.

Through hours of concerted efforts, Bulgarian authorities announced on Sept. 3 that the fire has been largely extinguished and will be completely under control during the day.

Meanwhile, Turkish teams will remain on alert with firefighting vehicles in case of the fire rekindling or nearing the border until the flames are entirely under control.

In the meantime, a fire that broke out in the northwestern province of Bursa’s Mudanya district on Sept. 2 was brought under control after a 17-hour effort. The fire caused damage to a 25-hectare forested area and resulted in injuries to several animals.