The large fire that broke out yesterday afternoon in the Regional Waste Management Center near the village of Rakitnitsa has already been localized and brought under control.
No employees or firefighters were injured in the incident, and there is no direct danger to nearby settlements. On-duty teams remain on site, continuing to treat the smoldering fires.
The incident was reported at around 4:40 p.m., with the flames starting from the middle part of the first cell in the landfill and quickly covering a large perimeter. Three fire trucks, municipal water carriers from Stara Zagora and the landfill's heavy specialized equipment for waste containment joined the battle with the fire. Strong gusts of wind further complicated the teams' work, requiring a rapid change in extinguishing tactics.
The crisis situation is being coordinated on site by Deputy Mayor Radostin Tanev and Regional Governor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kaloyan Damyanov. Immediately after the incident, the Regional Inspectorate for Environment, Water and Fire Protection – Stara Zagora sent a mobile laboratory to measure the atmospheric air parameters. At the moment, no dangerous smoke or exceeding of the norms has been reported in the nearby villages of Rakitnitsa and Bogomilovo.
The official causes of the incident are in the process of being clarified. Among the leading versions that experts are working on is the spontaneous combustion of methane caused by improperly disposed batteries or hazardous materials in general household waste.