Angelov: The fire near Canishte remains active, but the villages are not at risk

The director of the Directorate for Protection and Rescue (DPR), Stojance Angelov, said in a video statement that the fire that broke out on Monday afternoon in the area of the village of Canishte, in the Prilep part of Mariovo, has still not been completely extinguished.

According to him, the flames currently pose no threat to Canishte or any other village. Angelov said that a strong defensive line had been established in front of the village of Krushevice, which lies beyond it. He added that the fire had been halted several times during the night and that, even if it moved closer, it was expected to be stopped before reaching the village.

“At the moment, there is no active fire front moving toward the village of Krushevice, although this does not mean that the situation cannot change,” Angelov said.

He also announced that efforts were continuing to combat a fire front in the village of Orle, near Bitola. A heavy bulldozer has also been deployed to assist with the intervention and to open a firebreak that will help extinguish the flames.

In the area between Canishte and Krushevice, Prilep’s firefighters are being supported by the Directorate’s special teams, including teams equipped with four Pinzgauer vehicles. Volunteer firefighters from Bitola, Kocani and Vinica have also been deployed in the field and, according to Angelov, have achieved excellent results.

Angelov explained that a considerable number of fire fronts had been cut off. From a line that may have been more than 20 kilometers long, there is now no longer a continuous front, but only separate hotspots. A police helicopter also took part in the operation, helping extinguish part of the ridge that the Pinzgauer vehicles could not reach.

He described the situation as stable but warned that it could worsen at any moment. Angelov stressed that the Directorate currently has the threat to populated areas under control.