Firefighters, forest and municipal officials, military and volunteers are still actively involved in extinguishing fires in the country today. High temperatures and wind have reignited some of the already controlled outbreaks.
The fire in the Sungurlare region has grown again due to the wind, the reversed direction of the air currents and their speed, the Sungurlare Municipality announced. The fire is moving towards the village of Skala, where tractors are trying to cross the fields and stop the fire. Sungurlare Mayor Dimitar Gavazov is on the ground and observing the actions of the farmers, with whose equipment they hope to cut off the path of the flames and prevent them from entering the village. The administration's efforts are focused there to respond as quickly as possible if evacuation of the population of the village of Skala is necessary. Nine firefighting teams from Burgas, Karnobat and Tsarevo, farmers with equipment and volunteers continue to fight the fire. The firefighters are already very tired from the more than 48-hour fight, but efforts are continuing to stop the fire, the municipal press center added.
Crews of Bulgarian helicopters “Cougar“ (AS-532 AL Cougar) and an American helicopter “Black Hawk“ (Black Hawk) continue to help extinguish the fires in the Burgas region, the press center of the Ministry of Defense announced.
A state of emergency has been declared on the territory of three settlements in the Sredets municipality – the villages of Slivovo, Sinyo Kamene and Granitec, the mayor of the Sredets municipality Ivan Kichev told BTA.
"In the area of these three villages, mainly forest massif is burning. Helicopters participated in extinguishing the fire, but they withdrew, most likely due to the growing fire in the Sungurlare area. "We have also mobilized agricultural machinery to try to make clearings in the direction of the fire's approach. There are about six fire trucks on site. The situation is dynamic. The area of the Sredets municipality has been burning since Friday afternoon," Kichev also said.
A fire broke out in the afternoon in the Mumnevo area near Svilengrad. The fire crossed the "Maritsa" highway and headed towards Svilengrad, the head of the Regional Service "Fire Safety and Population Protection" told BTA in Svilengrad Ivelin Tonev.
Due to the smoke, the "Maritsa" highway was closed to traffic, the "Road Infrastructure" Agency announced. Traffic was redirected through the "Novo Selo" junction on road E-80 to road I-8 via the "Pastrogor" junction.
The situation is very complicated, explained Tonev. The fire is developing in several outbreaks. Six teams of firefighters are on site, and more reinforcements are expected, he added.
The fire over Sandanski has flared up again, the director of the Forestry Department in the city, Simeon Efremov, told BTA. Fire brigade and forestry teams are on the ground, trying to control the situation. One outbreak started high up in the mountains and is in close proximity to "Pirin" park. There are many people on site, but it is difficult because of the high temperatures, and the wind is very disruptive, said Efremov. The fire in the Ilindentsi region broke out on July 25 at around 8:42 p.m.
Dry grass and bushes, as well as old car tires were burning in a fire in the capital's "Hristo Botev" district, the fire department reported. The signal was filed at 3:05 p.m., and seven fire trucks with 21 employees went to the scene.
A BTA reporter saw that flames around 7:00 p.m. again engulfed dry grass and bushes from the direction of "Iztochna Tangenta" street near "Vasil Levski" airport. Firefighters responded immediately and extinguished the fire for the second time.
A fire is burning in the area of Bankya and the "St. Petka" monastery. The fire has already been extinguished, Krasimir Dimitrov, director of the "Emergency Assistance and Prevention" Directorate at the Sofia Municipality, told BTA. Four teams from the fire department and the municipality's emergency department responded to the scene, as well as volunteers from the Sofia Municipality's Voluntary Disaster Protection Unit. Four water carriers were sent by order of Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev. A fire drone was also launched by the "Emergency Assistance and Prevention" teams.
The fire over the village of Dobrostan has been extinguished, but the fire has not yet been completely extinguished, the Asenovgrad Municipality announced. The location is difficult to access in the Pileshka Chuka area and extinguishing is mainly done manually. A water line is also being put out by a fire truck.