Bulgaria: State of Emergency in Svilengrad, Sakar Mountain is Burning

The fight against the fire in Sakar Mountain continues for more than 30 hours. The flames cover a 15-kilometer front, BNR reports.

The municipality of Svilengrad declared a state of emergency due to the fire. By order of the regional administration, all activities in forest and agricultural areas are prohibited. About 6,000 decares of mixed forest are burning there, reports the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. Employees of the state forestry holdings from Svilengrad, Topolovgrad, Tvarditsa, Sredets and Dolno Yablkovo are fighting the fire with 10 high-terrain fire engines. Teams from the General Directorate "Fire Safety and Protection of the Population" are also on site.

There is an assumption that the sparks started from the land of the village of Mladinovo after clearing a pasture.

The flames also covered dry grasses and bushes, with the total affected area being nearly 10,000 decares. Forestry and agricultural activities in the area are prohibited due to the ongoing fires, the ministry informed.

Nearly 200 forest employees are involved in extinguishing fires in Bulgaria during the last 24 hours. They joined the fight against the fire element in Svilengrad and Burgas. High temperature, strong gusts of wind and the flames unfolded on a 15-kilometer front near Mladinovo, Pastrogor and Momkovo on an area of 10 thousand acres. The fire probably started after clearing a pasture in the land of the village of Mladinovo.

"These are the assumptions - that a pasture in Mladinovo was cleaned and that's where the fire started. However, so far there is no such evidence," said Haskovo regional governor Ginka Raicheva.

The fire is still not under control. The fire is not growing in the north and west, but the situation is severe in the east.

The regional administration in Haskovo prohibits the processing of field and forest areas:

"Many people take the warnings of extreme weather forecasts and the danger of fires seriously and continue to carry out activities that are a prerequisite for their occurrence. I have restricted agricultural and forestry activities in the area by order so as not to further complicate the situation."

A fire warning code remains in effect until August 22.

Another fire broke out in the area of the Harmanli village of Slavyanovo, where a house burned down.

There is no immediate danger that the fire in the Burgas municipality of Sredets will affect the village of Kubadin. Extinguishing the forests in the area continues with two helicopters and fire equipment.

Three firefighters were injured while fighting the flames in the forest near Kubadin, the Fire Department confirmed for BNR.

"Three colleagues who breathed in the smoke, otherwise nothing serious. For the time being, the fire is under control, it has not been localized yet, it will probably continue tomorrow, because the area is very large and the terrain is cut off," said the director of Main Directorate "Fire Safety and Protection of the population" chief commissioner Alexander Jartov.

30 firefighters are on the scene. They are assisted by military personnel and volunteers. Two Ministry of Defense helicopters are also involved in the extinguishing. Due to the growth of the fire, a special headquarters was formed by the chief of the National Fire Department. A partial state of emergency has also been declared.

"The fire is not localized, as it covers a large area. The main goal was to save the village, and except for entering the yards, we have neither injured people nor massive houses. At the moment, a safety strip has been built around the village, which will be monitored until tomorrow morning, we'll see how it will develop. And the front of the fire is being observed towards other forest massifs, where we have also taken actions to prevent it from spreading," said Burgas Regional Governor Plamen Yanev.

Because of the fire, the Municipality of Sredets declared a partial state of emergency.

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