BRATISLAVA, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Firefighters continued battling a forest fire in Slovensky Raj (Slovak Paradise) National Park in eastern Slovakia on Thursday, local authorities said.
The fire, which broke out Wednesday afternoon near the Pukanec mountain saddle on the southern edge of the national park, has affected an area of coniferous forest measuring about 200 by 200 meters.
Professional and volunteer firefighters, forestry workers, and a specialized ground firefighting unit were involved in the operation, while a helicopter was also deployed to help extinguish the fire.
The Spisska Nova Ves forestry company said the affected area is particularly popular for cranberry and blueberry pickers and suspected that human activity linked to berry picking may have caused the fire.
