There are teams of firefighters deployed to places where a gathering of people is expected on New Year's Eve. This was stated in “This Morning“ by Chief Commissioner Alexander Dzhartov, Director of the Directorate General “Fire Safety and Population Protection“.
According to him, the biggest concerns are usually related to the gathering of many people in entertainment venues, the use of alcohol, combined with the use of pyrotechnics. According to him, this combination often leads to incidents.
“Traditionally, before the holidays, we inspect establishments and tourist sites. As well as sites with religious purposes. Over 1,800 inspections have been carried out, with 200 sites found to have violations of fire safety requirements,“ said Dzhartov.
He gave an example that violations are usually related to insufficient fire extinguishing equipment, storage of packaging in front of exits and improper documentation. He added that control has been extremely heightened after the tragic “Indigo“ incident on December 21, 2001, when seven children died and 12 others were injured in a mass panic during an evacuation in a Sofia disco.
“With regard to hotels and entertainment venues, there has been a significant improvement in fire safety in recent years. Customers can file reports, and we immediately carry out an inspection. There is a 20% increase in fires during the Christmas and New Year holidays, compared to the rest of the heating season,“ explained Dzhartov.
He recommended avoiding the use of power strips at home, because they often create the conditions for a fire. Sparklers can cause a serious accident if they ignite indoors.
Dzhartov explained that there are frequent cases of roofs and farm buildings being set on fire by pyrotechnics on New Year's Eve. Regarding the past year, he commented that climate change and global warming are leading to more serious fires.