A partial state of emergency was declared in Transko on the territory of three villages in the area - Rani Lug, Nasalevtsi and Slishovtsi, after the powerful fire threatened the homes and lives of local residents, NOVA reported.
The fire broke out on Saturday afternoon and spread along the ridge of the Miloslavska mountain in hours, threatening the entire surrounding area.
The regional governor of Pernik said that the extinguishing continues, reported . There has been no danger to the three villages since last night, but residents have not yet been allowed to see whether their homes have been damaged and, if so, how much. About 10 fire departments are on the ground, including from the city of Troyan, as well as 40 firefighters. The fire itself is moving along the mountain ridge, there is still a risk of it spreading to Serbia, but there is no evidence that this has happened yet. Serbian authorities have been warned since last night. A helicopter is expected to join the firefighting effort later today.
The BG-ALERT early warning system signaled residents to evacuate their homes immediately. High flames, thick smoke and an advancing fire, aided by the wind and dry vegetation, surrounded the villages. The battle with the fire was waged not only by firefighters, but also by dozens of volunteers who joined with personal resources - cans, hoses and pumps.
„A 560-year-old oak tree was burning, and the fire was only 10 meters from my house. People, water and equipment were needed. "There was simply nothing to stop it," said a local resident who participated in the extinguishing.
The situation was the most severe in the village of Rani Lug, where half of the village was destroyed by the flames. Footage from the scene shows a picture reminiscent of post-war devastation. Even experienced volunteers describe the situation as "apocalyptic".
The night passed under extreme tension. In the dark hours, the situation was too dangerous for the volunteers, who had to withdraw at the insistence of the fire department. The extinguishing continued with fire brigade and civil defense teams. The problems were exacerbated by a chronic shortage of water - some villages have been on a water regime for years.
“If we had water, we would have fought the fire all night, but we had to travel 15 km to fill 400 liters“, explained another local.
According to the authorities, the danger to the settlements has been controlled, but the fire continues to rage in the mountainous region. Efforts are focused on localizing it in the forest massifs. More than 7 fire brigades are working on the spot, and help is expected from neighboring countries. Bulgaria has activated the EU civil protection mechanism and requested assistance with planes and helicopters for aerial extinguishing.
The Tran municipality organized temporary accommodation of the evacuated residents in huts, providing them with food and shelter. At night, patrols guarded the villages to prevent a repeat threat.
“I think that the villages are out of danger at the moment. The fight continues in the forests, but we are doing everything necessary. We expect air support very soon“, the crisis headquarters said.
The house of Rosen Tanchev from Rani Lug has completely burned down. On Sunday, he returned to the village and found almost everything burned down. Only a dozen houses were not affected by the fire.
“A few minutes ago we had a ray of hope because it rained, but it only lasted a few minutes. It seems that the fire has not been extinguished and is still burning. The terrain is very difficult. The mountain above the villages is very steep. The fire spreads easily upwards”, Emil Nikolov, a volunteer from the university emergency rescue team, said on the air of “Na Fokus”.
“Everything started in the field. We tried to contact 112, said Rosen Tanchev. - Only Serbian operators were involved. They asked us if the fire was big. Firefighters arrived after an hour and a half. There is no equipment, the state is not responding adequately, he said on the air of “Na Fokus”.
Fire in the area of the village of Ivanyane, in the area between the villages of Filipovtsi - Bankya - Suhodol. Dry grass and bushes are on fire.
The movement of buses on lines 31 and 81 has been temporarily changed. They run along “Slivnitsa“ Blvd., “Adam Mitskevich“ Blvd., “Beli Dunav“ Blvd., “Lomsko Shose“ and along their route. “Pancho Vladigerov“ Blvd. from “Slivnitsa“ to “Dimitriy Likhachov“ Str. The route of buses on line No. 42, which pass through “Bankyansko Shose“, has also been changed.
The Fire Department teams and three teams from the “Emergency Assistance and Prevention“ Directorate of the Sofia Municipality are on site.
The fire is growing rapidly. Volunteers are being sought.