A large fire broke out in the area of the 7th kilometer near Stara Zagora, with the incident reported minutes after 3:00 p.m. Teams of the Regional Service “Fire Safety and Population Protection” were sent to the scene to fight the flames. The fire engulfed houses in a villa area, Nova TV reported.
The mayor of Stara Zagora declared a partial state of emergency. "The fire engulfed a villa area with 300 houses that are habitable on weekends. We evacuated people as quickly as possible. 15-20 houses burned down. The causes of the fire are being investigated. There is no danger to people. Firefighters on duty will ensure that the fire does not break out again. The fire was localized in less than three hours," explained Zhivko Todorov.
The director of the local "Fire Safety" directorate, Commissioner Stoyan Kolev, described the fire as very serious. "Firefighters from the entire Stara Zagora, Plovdiv, and Sliven regions joined the extinguishing, a total of 14 teams. We evacuated people who were in danger. The fire is under control," he announced.
There are about 100 volunteers and fire brigade teams on site. The BG-ALERT early warning system has been activated. A helicopter has been involved in extinguishing the fire. The area is on the Stara Zagora - Stara Zagora Mineral Baths road. The power supply has been temporarily cut off.
Senior Commissioner Krasimir Hristov indicated that the police are investigating the causes of the fire. "There are numerous signals of its occurrence and we are checking them", he explained.
Regional Governor Nedelcho Marinov praised the efforts and coordination between institutions and appealed not to light fires in the open.
The authorities have taken urgent measures to secure the area, temporarily stopping the movement of motor vehicles on the road from Stara Zagora to the junction for the village of Pryaporets. A detour route through the village of Borilovo has been provided for travelers.
They have also sent an appeal to volunteers who are able and willing to join in extinguishing the fire, to come to the scene to assist the firefighters.
Zhivko Todorov is at the scene of the fire. He called for avoiding travel on the Stara Zagora – road in the coming hours Stara Zagora Baths, so as not to hinder the movement of fire trucks, water carriers and volunteer formations.