A new fire has broken out in the villa area of Harmanli, former fire chief and advisor to the Ministry of Interior Nikolay Nikolov announced on the air of "Denyat na Zievo" on NOVA NEWS. He specified that the information is quite fresh, as the signal was received minutes before his participation in the program. This outbreak is another of over 100 fires that have occurred in the country in the last day alone. Due to a large-scale element, a state of emergency has already been declared in the Belogradchik region. According to Nikolov, this situation is the new reality that we will have to deal with. "This is what awaits us - drought, high temperatures, low humidity. This is what they lead to", he said.
Despite the large number of fires that have occurred, only three of them currently pose a serious danger, the expert explained. The most severe remains the one in the municipality of Belogradchik, where the mayor has declared a state of emergency in order to mobilize additional forces and resources to extinguish it.
The good news is that the fire, which raged for nearly seven days in the area of the Rila Monastery, has been brought under control, thanks in part to the rain that fell. However, it was extremely complex, as it burned at a high altitude (over 2,200 meters), in steep and difficult terrain, and the fire also penetrated underground. "This is the so-called peat. Accumulated needles for years. At first glance, only smoke remains, but it can erupt 5 meters below" explained Nikolov, adding that therefore the situation there remains under control, but it cannot yet be said that the fire has been completely extinguished.
Other larger outbreaks in the regions of Teteven and the municipality of Kaynardzha have already been localized and brought under control.
The causes of the fires are complex. While the fire in Rila is believed to have been started by lightning, in the Belogradchik region there is a version of human activity related to loggers. Nikolay Nikolov emphasized that one of the main prerequisites for the rapid spread of the fire is the uncleaned dry vegetation.
In the battle against the elements, Bulgarian firefighters are increasingly using modern technologies. In the difficult fire in Rila, in addition to military helicopters, specialized drones were used to carry water and help extinguish the fires more precisely.
Nikolov also highlighted the important role of volunteers and the excellent interaction between all institutions - fire department, army, forestry and local authorities. He also praised the fact that Bulgarian teams are also providing assistance outside the country, with 20 firefighters currently in Greece, and assistance was recently provided to North Macedonia for the large fire in Kriva Palanka. "Our firefighters have shown for the last time that they are a serious, sustainable structure that, even in such a difficult situation, can afford to help its neighbors," he concluded.