(SOFIA) - Bulgaria's ministry of emergency situations on Saturday appealed for help from the European Union and NATO to cope with a huge forest fire in its Rila mountain national park to the southwest.

The blaze, which has been raging for four days, has already devoured over 130 hectares of woodland, the ministry said.

"No injuries have been reported and there is no threat to people in the nearby villages and the town of Blagoevgrad," fire service chief Nikolay Nikolov said on national radio Saturday.

Strong winds and the rough mountainous terrain are severely hindering efforts of firefighters, police, forestry officials, volunteers and the army to contain and extingush the blaze, the ministry added.

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