Over the past 24 hours, Bulgarian firefighters have responded to over 90 emergency calls, as announced by the General Directorate for Fire Safety and Civil Protection (GDFSCP). An official bulletin published on the directorate"s website indicates that a total of 90 fires were extinguished. The grim statistics once again raise questions about the country"s readiness to cope with the increasingly frequent and intense blazes affecting various parts of Bulgaria.
Three people were injured in the fires, which underscores the seriousness of the situation and the immediate danger faced by both citizens and emergency service personnel. Of the total number of fires, 19 caused significant material damage, while 71 were contained before they could cause similar destruction.
However, the firefighters" work wasn"t limited to battling fires. Over the past 24 hours, they also carried out 33 rescue and assistance operations. Among these, eight were related to road incidents, as teams responded to calls for vehicle crashes. The remaining 25 operations were technical assistance, including a wide range of activities—from providing support to other Ministry of Interior structures and removing dangerous objects to rescuing animals and draining affected areas. Firefighters also provided direct assistance to citizens and other state institutions.
Unfortunately, amidst this intense work, five of the received calls turned out to be false, which wasted valuable resources and delayed the response of teams that could have been directed to real emergency situations.
The Prime Minister"s Opinion
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov commented on the situation with forest fires, expressing serious concern. Yesterday, he stated that "This year is breaking all records. Over 10,000 fires have raged in the past two months". The Prime Minister"s words highlight the unprecedented scale of the problem, challenging authorities to find long-term solutions for prevention and effective crisis management that threaten both the environment and human lives. The intensified work of firefighters under these unprecedented circumstances is a serious reason to reflect on climate change and its impact on the country_q_s safety.