The fire near Gurkovo: The fire destroyed properties
A partial state of emergency has been declared in the village of Dimovtsi, dozens of firefighters, military helicopters and heavy equipment have been mobilized
The situation with the large-scale fire in Gurkovo municipality remains critical in the early hours of September 12, 2026. The fire, which broke out at noon the previous day, covered a vast territory and led to the activation of the early warning system BG-Alert. Due to the rapid spread of the flames, local authorities officially declared a partial state of emergency for the village of Dimovtsi. The fire has currently burned down several uninhabited buildings, villas and yards on the outskirts of the settlement, before retreating deep into the forest.
According to initial estimates by the Stara Zagora Regional Government, the fire has destroyed nearly 300 acres of mixed and coniferous forest, and the thick black smoke was felt even dozens of kilometers away in the Veliko Tarnovo region. The timely response of the police prevented serious incidents – law enforcement officers have preventively evacuated elderly people and children from the endangered properties, and at the moment there are no reports of injured citizens.
Two military helicopters "Cougar" (AS 532 AL Cougar) from the Krumovo airbase participated in the extinguishing, which carried out intensive flights, loading water from the nearby "Zhrebchevo" dam. Dozens of firefighters, employees of the State Forestry and numerous local volunteers remained on the ground throughout the night. To limit the front, heavy tracked equipment from the “Maritsa-East Mines“ and the “Maritsa-East 2“ TPP was also brought in to dig through clearings. Additional ground troops and additional teams from neighboring districts are expected to be deployed in the early hours of the morning. The Mayor of Gurkovo, Kancho Papazov, made an urgent appeal to property owners in Dimovtsi to provide access to their yards to facilitate firefighters.