Sofia, August 11, 2025 - In response to the growing threat of forest fires in the country, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov ordered the creation of a special working group between three key ministries. This was announced by Nikolay Nikolov, advisor to the Minister of Interior, during a briefing today.
The working group, consisting of representatives from the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Transport, and the Ministry of Defense, will be tasked with developing an effective aerial firefighting program. The group's proposals will be presented for discussion and approval in the National Assembly.
"Hopefully, next year we will be able to introduce more helicopters," said Nikolov, emphasizing the importance of aerial assets in fighting fires.
He expressed gratitude to the Bulgarian Air Force for maintaining a minimum of three firefighting helicopters, as well as to the European Union's civil protection mechanism for the support provided.
According to the latest data, 51 fires have occurred in the country over the past 24 hours. Of these, 10 have been successfully extinguished, while firefighters continue to battle the remaining 41. Three of the fires pose a particular threat to forest areas:
- The fire in the Sreden area, which has been localized and is about to be fully extinguished.
- The fire in Sungurlare, which has affected over 16,000 decares of land.
- The fire in Pirin National Park, where over 160 people, including firefighters, military personnel, volunteers, and park employees, are actively participating in the firefighting efforts.
In Pirin, the situation remains tense, with two active hotspots. Due to the difficult terrain, firefighting is primarily carried out using manual methods and aerial equipment. Today, two planes and one helicopter are involved in the operation.
Nikolov emphasized that tomorrow's actions in Pirin will begin early in the morning to reach the last hotspot at the highest point of the affected area.
These events highlight the need to improve forest firefighting capacity in Bulgaria, especially in the context of changing climate and increasing risk of such incidents. The creation of the working group and the planned increase in aerial firefighting assets are important steps towards improving the country's readiness to deal with these challenges.