The fire in a workshop for the production and storage of insulating materials in Byala has been controlled, but smoldering materials remained at the scene. A foreign worker died in the incident. According to information from BNT, he was 41 years old and a citizen of Nepal. His identity is not being disclosed.
The fire alarm was raised at around 2:00 p.m. on September 25. The flames covered an area of about two acres in the city's farmyard. Five fire trucks, police teams and volunteer formations participated in the extinguishing. The most serious risk was that the fire would reach a neighboring carpentry shop, but this did not happen.
“There is also a good chance that the situation will improve over time, since the wind was not in the direction of the city of Byala“, the director of the fire department in Varna, Senior Commissioner Stoyan Stoyanov, told bTV. Later, BNT reported that two teams remained on site to further extinguish the smoldering remains.
What has been confirmed about the air
Due to the fire, the mayor of Byala Penyo Nenov declared a state of emergency for the city and the village of Goritsa, and the BG-ALERT system was activated. Residents were urged not to approach the area and not to obstruct the work of firefighters.
RIOSV – Varna and the Regional Laboratory have carried out air measurements near the nearest residential building. No values above the alarm thresholds were recorded for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, benzene and carbon monoxide. During the measurement, the wind carried the smoke to agricultural areas, opposite the settlement. The Environmental Inspectorate has stated that it will continue to monitor the area.
Inspection and clarification of the cause are pending
The cause of the fire has not yet been officially established. BNT reported preliminary information that the fire may have started from a new machine, but this version is yet to be verified. An inspection of the site, an assessment of the damage and an investigation into the causes of the fire and the death of the worker are expected in the case.
According to the information disseminated by bTV, the state of emergency could have been lifted on Saturday morning at the earliest. Until the final decision, access to the area remains limited due to the danger of smoldering materials and the need for fire crews to work.
Sources: BNT, BNR, bTV