A fire broke out on Tuesday afternoon in the village of Lekël in Tepelena, engulfing in flames a large area of forests and land planted by local residents.
The fire caused severe damage, including the burning of the Orthodox Church of “St. Ilia”, which has been declared a Category II cultural monument. This historic church was built around the 1800s by Thanas Vaja, the former secretary of Ali Pasha of Tepelena.
According to preliminary reports, the flames have also engulfed several homes, three stables and caused the loss of three calves. The situation has worsened further after two bombs left over from World War II exploded due to high temperatures and contact with the fire.
Footage from the ground shows an alarming situation, while residents are calling on authorities for immediate assistance and increased firefighting forces in the area.
