Media: Wildfire sweeps through Slovakia’s protected Veľká Fatra Park

A forest fire has broken out in Slovakia’s Veľká Fatra National Park, with firefighters and park personnel working to contain the blaze, the TASR news agency reports.

The fire is spreading through the central part of the national park. Firefighters and park staff have been deployed to tackle the flames, while the cause of the fire remains unknown.

Veľká Fatra is a mountain range in northern Slovakia and one of the country’s protected natural areas. The territory was designated a nature reserve in 1971 before officially becoming a national park on April 1, 2002.

The park is home to Europe’s largest yew grove and around 1,000 species of rare plants. Beech and fir forests account for nearly 90% of its territory, making the ongoing wildfire a potential threat to a significant and ecologically valuable forest ecosystem.

By Vafa Guliyeva