site.btaKrumovo Air Base Doubles Firefighting Capacity Within a Year, PM Says

The firefighting capacity of Krumovo Air Base has doubled in just one year in terms of both aircraft involved and trained teams, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov told reporters during a working visit to the base on Thursday. The meeting brought together the Ministries of Defence and Interior, regional government bodies, and local authorities to assess wildfire readiness and inter-agency coordination.

Zhelyazkov said that more helicopters would be ready to join aerial firefighting efforts next year. While the Bulgarian Armed Forces’ support is concentrated at Krumovo Air Base, hundreds of other teams across the country are involved in disaster response, rescue, and evacuation operations, he added.

Coordination between the Interior Ministry, regional governors, and mayors is essential not only for timely alerts and protection of lives and property, but also for the preservation of nature, the Prime Minister said. Last year, massive wildfires devastated large areas, with 95% caused by human activity, he noted.

Wildfires are currently concentrated South of the Balkan Mountains, Zhelyazkov added. Two active fires are being contained, one in the Rila Mountains and another near Sandanski.

The Prime Minister also recalled that, as discussed at the recent NATO Summit, Bulgaria’s defence funding is planned over a 10-year period until 2035. Of the total, 3.5% is allocated to core military expenditure, while 1.5% is for the development of critical infrastructure with potential military use.

Thursday meeting was attended by Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov, Air Force Commander Major General Nikolay Rusev, Fire Safety and Civil Protection Chief Commissioner Alexander Dzhartov, Plovdiv Regional Governor Prof. Hristina Yancheva, Plovdiv Fire Department Chief Commissioner Vasil Dimov, and Plovdiv Mayor Kostadin Dimitrov.