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The column of Armenian rescue workers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) has departed today to Georgia to help Georgian firefighters handle a massive wildfire that broke out yesterday afternoon near the village of Daba in the Borjomi Municipality in central Georgia.

As the rescue service department official Gohar Baghdasaryan told Panorama.am, the Armenian column comprises firefighting brigades and paramedics. 

To remind, the fire started Sunday in Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park but intensified Monday evening when it spread to over 6 hectares in the hills above the villages Tsaghveri, Sadgeri and Daba. It is about five km south-east of the town Borjomi, a popular mountain resort.

No casualties have been reported so far. However, residents of nearby villages feel uneasy and stay outdoors expecting evacuation if the fire further intensifies.
Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili visited the site and established a makeshift headquarters in the village Daba. He assured residents late at night that there was no necessity to evacuate.

About 270 firefighters and rescue workers have been mobilized, along with an unidentified number of volunteers, many of whom had driven in from other parts of the country.

Earlier, the Georgian authorities applied to Armenia to provide assistance in extinguishing activities.