Other events in Baltic States

Firefighters have been battling the blaze for six days now.

While peat keeps smoldering in many areas, flames have been contained within the firefighters' perimeter as of now, said the State Fire and Revenue Service's spokeswoman Inta Palkavniece. It will take quite some time to put out the fire completely as peat fires can smolder for a long time, igniting new forest fires, she added.

Palkavniece also said that the first results of air pollution tests could be released today.

Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis (Unity) said in an interview with Latvian Radio that he had called a Crisis Management Council's meeting on Monday to discuss further action regarding the fire. He explained that moss and peat were smoldering to a depth of one meter, producing a lot of smoke and making it too dangerous to send firefighters in. Instead, firefighters' main task at the moment is to keep the fire within the perimeter, said the minister.

He also said that requesting international assistance to cope with the fire would be considered.

As reported, the fire in a peat bog in Valdgale County started Tuesday evening and later spread into the nearby forest.

According to the European Union's Copernicus emergency management service, the fire in Valdgale County had destroyed 267 hectares of forest, 311.7 hectares of bushland and 431.8 hectares of peat bog by Sunday.

Residents of Stikli Village, located near the fire, were evacuated last week but most had returned to their homes by Saturday, Ventspils Region Council's Chairman Aivars Mucenieks (Greens/Farmers) told LETA.