Move FM Global News

PRAGUE, Czech Republic: Supported by units from neighboring Germany, hundreds of Czech firefighters battled a blaze this week in a national park for a third day.

The fire in the Czech national park is the second this year, after a smaller blaze broke out in April.

The ongoing fire has destroyed houses and forced authorities to evacuate villages on the country’s German border, including a popular tourist area.

On Twitter, the Prague and regional fire departments said the fire also sent smoke drifting across the Czech Republic, including to Prague, located some 130 miles away.

CTK news agency reported a park spokesperson as saying that as it grew in size, the fire was still not under control and had swept through 300 hectares of the park.

Slovakia, Poland and Italy pledged that they would send helicopters and planes to help combat the blaze.

Also this week, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala visited the area, Authorities suspect that the fire was started by a negligent park visitor over the weekend, adding that it had jumped fire breaks when winds shifted.

In a televised briefing this week, Fire Rescue chief Vladimir Vlcek said firefighters were working to contain the fire, stressing that it was difficult to know when it would be contained.

Last week, a heat wave contributed to wildfires seen across southern Europe, with temperature reaching above 40 Celsius.