site.btaBulgaria Unveils Wildfire Action Plan

Bulgaria's Ministries of the Interior, Defence, and Agriculture have drawn up a joint action plan to prevent and combat wildfires during the summer, officials announced at a joint briefing.

Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said the plan was prepared on the instructions of Prime Minister Rumen Radev and covers measures ranging from prevention to more effective firefighting.

Demerdzhiev said the Interior Ministry has organized the use of drones operated by the Fire Safety and Civil Protection Directorate to detect and pinpoint fires more quickly. The Border Police will assist with transporting personnel and equipment and carrying out aerial surveillance. Coordination has also been established with the Executive Forest Agency and with mayors in high-risk areas to improve preparedness. He added that the state's full organizational, technical and human resources have been mobilized for this year's fire season, while additional measures are already being planned for 2027.

Fire Safety and Civil Protection Director Chief Commissioner Alexander Dzhartov said most fires in agricultural areas are not caused by the deliberate burning of stubble but by routine farming activities, which pose a significant fire risk. He said fire authorities have issued 13 administrative penalties in recent weeks for burning dry grass and plant waste and warned that the number of wildfires has nearly doubled over the past two weeks due to rising temperatures.

Agriculture Minister Plamen Abrovski announced a new order banning the mowing of agricultural land during the hottest part of the day. Mowing will only be allowed at night and until 8:00 a.m. to reduce the risk of fires spreading between farmland and forests. He urged the public to act responsibly in nature, noting that most wildfires are caused by unintentional human activity.

Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said the military has 22 units, comprising up to 400 personnel, ready to assist in firefighting operations - seven in northern Bulgaria and 15 in the south. He said the armed forces have four Cougar helicopters, two Mi-17 helicopters and one Spartan aircraft equipped with the new Guardian aerial firefighting system. While the system has not yet been tested in real wildfire conditions, Stoyanov said the military hopes it will demonstrate its effectiveness during this year's fire season.