Russia, which invaded swathes of Georgia on August 8, denies setting the forest park ablaze.

The Georgian foreign ministry said Saturday that the Borjomi Gorge in south-west Georgia had been targeted by Russian helicopters dropping firebombs in a dozen locations.

"Fires in the Borjomi forests are still continuing. There was unfortunately no progress in the fight against the fires," Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili told AFP.

"Two hundred hectares have been burned down."

The Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, about 125 kilometres (80 miles) southwest of Tbilisi, is the source of Borjomi mineral water -- one of Georgia's most celebrated exports.

A Russian defence ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by state news agency RIA Novosti that Russia has "nothing to do with the forest fire in Borjomi. If the Georgians come to us, we are ready to help them extinguish it."

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