The Fire Near Burgas Has Been Fully Extinguished, While Blaze in Rila Still Burns

Bulgarian firefighters have fully extinguished the large blaze that broke out in the "Ostricite" villa zone near Burgas on Monday, destroying more than 30 buildings. Authorities confirmed on Tuesday morning that the fire has been brought under control and poses no further risk of re-ignition. However, several fire crews remain on site as a precaution.

According to the Burgas fire department chief Commissioner Nikolay Kolev, electricity in the area has been cut off and six burned vehicles have been discovered. In total, roughly 1,800 acres of land were scorched by the flames. On the day of the fire, 52 people were evacuated. One woman and her two children were rescued from the basement of a burning house after fire spread to the property’s yard. Kolev noted that the team reacted quickly and managed to save them.

The regional governor of Burgas, Vladimir Krumov, said there is still no official conclusion about where or how the fire started. However, investigators are on the ground and operational procedures are underway. Krumov mentioned that there are various accounts from locals, many pointing to the possibility of an open fire being lit in the area before the blaze began.

The fire danger index remains at red, and the BG-ALERT emergency system was activated twice during the incident, allowing authorities to warn nearby residents and coordinate the response. A full damage assessment is set to begin today.

Meanwhile, firefighters, volunteers, and military helicopters are still battling a separate fire in the upper parts of Rila Monastery Nature Park. The wildfire, which is burning at about 2,000 meters above sea level, has proven difficult to contain due to the steep terrain and underground peat fires.

On Monday, significant progress was made with the help of two helicopters drawing water from the Rila Hydroelectric Power Plant reservoir. Still, the fire remains active. Over 50 acres of pine forest have already been affected. The suspected cause is a lightning strike that hit the area nearly a month ago, which likely smoldered unnoticed until recently.

Volunteer firefighter Zdravko Velinov explained that most of the burning is happening below the surface, where peat and tree roots continue to smolder. “There’s little visible fire above ground, just smoke,” he said, “but underground it can burn at depths of one to one and a half meters.” Crews are working with shovels to dig out and extinguish the buried embers, and are carefully guiding helicopters to drop water in targeted areas. Because of the high risk, no operations are carried out at night.

Velinov emphasized the danger posed by the steep slope, saying the teams are taking great care to prevent injuries. “It’s tough work, but necessary,” he added.

While the situation in Burgas appears under control, the firefighting effort in Rila continues. Authorities remain on high alert as Bulgaria faces elevated wildfire risk due to ongoing dry conditions.