Firefighters, rescuers intensify efforts to contain Borjomi forest fire

Firefighters and rescuers from the Emergency Management Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are working to contain a forest fire that erupted near Akhaldaba township in the Borjomi municipality on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs announced four helicopters from the Border Police were deployed this morning to assist in extinguishing the blaze.

Firefighters worked through the night, but challenging terrain has hindered efforts to bring fire-rescue equipment closer to the heart of the fire, the Ministry said.

Around 150 firefighters from Tbilisi, Samtskhe-Javakheti, and Shida Kartli fire-rescue departments, along with rangers from Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park under the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture, are involved in the firefighting operation. Additional rangers equipped with appropriate firefighting tools will join the efforts if necessary, the Ministry noted.

A special field headquarters has been established by the Emergency Situations Management Service to coordinate the firefighting operations, with drones being used to monitor the situation.