Fire Breaks Out at Ecobulpak Recycling Facility in Sofia

Risida Dimitrova, Marin Kolev

Fire at a waste treatment facility operated by Ecobulpak in Sofia, July 1, 2026 (BTA Photo/Milena Stoykova)

Sofia,

01.07.2026 20:15

(BTA)

A fire broke out at a waste treatment facility operated by Ecobulpak in Sofia, Bulgaria's General Directorate for Fire Safety and Civil Protection said on Wednesday.

Firefighters found that two plastic recycling warehouses were ablaze. Six fire engines with firefighting crews, a hazardous materials unit and an ambulance were dispatched to the scene.

The fire has spread across an area of about 2,000 square metres, Sofia Directorate for Fire Safety and Civil Protection head Veselin Getov told reporters. "We are expecting water tankers to arrive. The main problem is the area's water supply. There are fire hydrants installed, but there is no water in them," Getov said at a briefing at the site of the incident.

Sofia Municipality said there was no danger to the public, adding that firefighters expected the blaze to be brought under control overnight.

A mobile air quality monitoring station will remain at the site. The municipality said it would begin providing updates to the public from Thursday morning.

The Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water said weather conditions were helping firefighters, with rainfall assisting efforts to extinguish the fire and wind carrying the smoke upwards, reducing any risk to nearby residents.

The capital was hit by a heavy rainstorm on Wednesday late afternoon. Sofia Municipality said that nearly 100 reports had been received of fallen trees and branches, blocked and flooded road sections and pedestrian underpasses.

According to Ecobulpak, the likely cause of the fire was batteries or pressurised aerosol containers mixed in with incoming waste. The exact cause will be determined by the authorities once inspections and the investigation have been completed.

The company said the fire was contained to the reception area for separately collected packaging waste, at the beginning of the processing line, although it spread to other parts of the facility. It said there was no risk of the fire spreading further. Plastic and paper waste are burning, the company said. All employees were evacuated in time, and no injuries have been reported.

Once firefighting operations are completed, the company will assess the damage and determine the measures needed to restore the facility's operations.

At this stage, Ecobulpak said it was not yet possible to assess the impact of the incident on the separate waste collection system in the Sofia municipal districts it serves. Such an assessment will be possible only after the extent of the damage has been established and a timetable for resuming operations has been drawn up.

/RY/