Heatwave-stricken Bulgaria banking on EU help to fight fires

4 months ago 21

Bulgaria expects help from EU countries to tackle the fires caused by the heatwave that has swept the country over the past two weeks, as large fires are reported almost hourly nationwide.

“Bulgaria is waiting for help from the Czech Republic and Romania to control the fires,” caretaker Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov said at a briefing on Tuesday in Stara Zagora, where a huge 12-kilometre blaze was raging for a second day.

Almost every hour, there are reports of major fires across the country.

Although Bulgarian firefighters have put out 228 fires in just 24 hours, major fires continue to break out.

The fire service said no lives have been lost so far, but one volunteer has been seriously injured.

Most serious is the situation near the Bulgarian town of Stara Zagora, with a population of more than 100,000, where a state of emergency has been declared after a fire in a pine forest forced the evacuation of people.

Since Tuesday, the area around the famous Bulgarian resort of Stara Zagora Mineral Baths has been at the highest risk.

Caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev arrived at the scene and reassured locals that the fire near Stara Zagora would be contained.

The government said it would help in the recovery of the 19-year-old who was seriously injured while volunteering to help put out the fire in the Sakar Mountains in southern Bulgaria.

Four helicopters are expected to join the firefight near Stara Zagora as Bulgarians await help from Czechia and Romania.

“So far, we have confirmation from the Czechs that they will send two helicopters,” said Stoyanov.

He added that Romania had requested two planes and two helicopters from the country but was still waiting for confirmation.

The Bulgarian army joined the firefight near Stara Zagora with two helicopters. They are joined by dozens of volunteers and off-road and heavy equipment from state-owned coal companies—the Maritsa East 2 power station and local coal mines.

“The two planes will be directed to control the fire in Haskovo, and the two helicopters are waiting for them here. We are probably expecting them around noon as they don’t fly at night. We are waiting for two more of our helicopters,” Stara Zagora Regional Governor Metodi Markov said.

Hemus, one of the country’s two busiest highways, was closed on Monday, causing chaos on the country’s roads. The road was reopened to traffic on Tuesday.

(Krassen Nikolov | Euractiv.bg)