Residents of five burned villages in Kostinbrod region have issued an open letter to state institutions, seeking answers about the fire disaster that destroyed over 20 houses. People are asking why they were not notified through the BG-alert system, why the fire department's response was delayed for hours, and what the real cause of the fire was. Among the locals, suspicions of deliberate arson, related to investment intentions to build a huge photovoltaic park in the area, are growing.
This was reported by "Nova TV".
The smell of burning is still felt in the air in the village of Bogyovtsi, and the people are united in their anger and demand answers. In an open letter addressed to the president, ministers and the mayor of the Kostinbrod municipality, they ask questions that remain unanswered after the disaster.
Their main dissatisfaction is directed at what they believe is the delayed reaction of the institutions. "At 3:22 a.m. I reported to 112 that there was a lot of smoke and it was turning red", said a resident of the "Bezden" villa area. However, according to her, the fire department arrived only in the evening, between 6:30 and 7:00 p.m. Another woman confirmed that when they arrived at 8:00 p.m., there were still no firefighters.
This many-hour delay forced local residents and volunteers from five villages to organize themselves. With buckets, collected bottles of water and even agricultural machinery, they tried to stop the fire, which had reached the doorstep of their homes. "We dealt with the elements ourselves. Thanks to a farmer with a tractor who made clearings, this village has it. Otherwise, it would have been in ashes", one of the men was categorical.
Serious suspicions of deliberate arson are also spreading among residents. "We have doubts that there was a deliberate plan, because on this area, the one that burned, a very large photovoltaic park is planned to be built - 400,000 panels, and a green hydrogen plant", said Silvia, a resident of Belidi Han. She highlighted the irony that this is being planned in a "waterless, extremely waterless area", where they themselves are on a water regime and have water twice a week.
The lack of coordination is another problem that people point out. Fire crews that arrived from Sofia returned to the capital to refill with water, instead of being directed to closer water sources by the municipality. Residents are adamant that they were the first shield against the fire and it was only thanks to their self-organization that the disaster did not become even larger.