site.btaFire Service Chief: There Are Fewer Than 50 Active Fires Across Country

Currently, there are fewer than 50 active fires in the country, and the only one still causing concern is the fire above the Rila Monastery, due to fallen trees that continue to smolder and are extremely difficult to extinguish, Chief Commissioner Alexandar Dzhartov, head of the General Directorate for Fire Safety and Civil Protection, told journalists on Sunday. He spoke during a water blessing ceremony held in Sofia to mark the patron day of Bulgarian firefighters.

Dzhartov explained that the fire in the Rila Monastery area is in a hard-to-reach location. There are no nearby water sources, making it impossible to lay water supply lines, but efforts are underway to contain it as much as possible in order to gradually extinguish it. He noted that the recent rainfall in the area hasn’t been enough to put out the fire, so the firefighters’ efforts will remain key. More than ten people are currently on the ground, including firefighters, staff from the Rila Monastery Nature Park, and forestry workers.

The fire chief added that the risk of wildfires will remain high over the next seven days as temperatures are expected to rise. "For this reason, we urge citizens to avoid using open flames and to refrain from creating fire hazards, both at home and during agricultural work or mountain tourism," he said.

When asked whether the BgAlert warning system is functioning, Dzhartov said that it has proven to work well and no technical issues have been encountered. He noted that while institutions cannot be forced to use the system, it was actively used last week during major fires by the regional governors of Pazardzhik, Plovdiv, Sliven, Burgas, and Vidin. According to Dzhartov, the regional governors are accepting the system, and it is performing effectively. He added that 67 municipalities still need to undergo training.