The battle against the large fire in Rila, above Dupnitsa, has been ongoing for nearly a week, with efforts intensifying as the blaze continues to spread. Due to the fire's expansion, a military helicopter has been deployed in recent days to assist in the operation.

Over 60 decares of forested areas are now affected. Since last night, chain equipment has been working to clear temporary forest roads, allowing firefighters to move equipment closer to the fire's front lines, according to Commissioner Svetoslav Georgiev, the head of the operational staff and director of the Regional Office for Fire Safety and Protection of the Population in Kyustendil.

Ground teams will continue their efforts today, primarily focusing on extinguishing the fire within the coniferous forest, while the helicopter will be deployed separately, Georgiev added.

The fire is confined to the territory of Rila National Park, as confirmed by its director, Krasimir Andonov. "Each day, we attempt to contain and control the fire, working on the ground with hoes and diggers. Yesterday, we managed to control it until 3:30 p.m., but the wind picked up, causing it to spread again. We had to respond quickly, but we were able to bring it under control. The fire is spreading in all directions and even crossed the ridge into the forest," Andonov stated.

Today, teams from three forestry farms will also participate in the firefighting efforts, according to Engineer Atanas Dimankov, director of State Forestry-Dupnitsa. "One team will work ahead of the bulldozer, clearing old forest trails to allow us to attack the fire from two sides and bring in more equipment," Dimankov explained.