site.btaUPDATED Smoke Reported in Eight Municipalities in Western Bulgaria, Most Likely Cause Are Fires in Serbia, Albania

Eight municipalities in Western Bulgaria reported of smoke on Tuesday. Sofia, Kostinbrod, Tran, Dragoman, Bozhurishte, Godech, Slivnitsa, and Kyustendil advised their residents to stay indoors, close doors and windows, and follow the official announcements of the local authorities. According to the Interior Ministry's Directorate General for Fire Safety and Civil Protection, the most likely source of the smoke were fires in Serbia, including in the Belgrade area, as well as fires in Albania. 

There are no active fires close to Bulgaria's national borders, the Directorate General specified.

The first official information on the issue came from the fire department, which initially reported heavy smoke over Sofia as a result of a fire in Serbia. The wind has carried the smoke toward Bulgaria; there are no fires within the capital, the fire department added. Later in the day, the Directorate General said that based on currently available data, fires in Serbia and Albania were to blame. This conclusion was reached following discussions and an exchange of information with the National Operative Centre in the Republic of Serbia and Bulgaria's National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, taking into account the meteorological conditions and the direction of air currents.

According to local media in Serbia and Albania, on Tuesday Serbian fire departments were battling two major fires and more than 40 smaller ones across the country, while a total of six fires remained active in Albania.

Sofia Municipality initially said its mobile automatic monitoring station showed the key air quality indicators were within the norm. The local authorities received over 40 reports within an hour regarding smoke, smog, and unpleasant odors in various parts of the capital. At the time, there were no reports of major fires within Sofia or in the immediate vicinity of the city, the municipality's press release said. 

The Environment and Water Ministry said in a press release that the automatic monitoring stations in Sofia have reported elevated levels only for particulate matter, with the highest recorded value at noon - 100 micrograms at the Nadezhda station, compared to the standard of 50 micrograms over 24 hours. At the Pernik station, the reading at noon was 34 micrograms. At 1:00 p.m., particulate matter levels dropped at the Nadezhda station, with a reading of 59 micrograms.

Air pollution from fine particulate matter peaked around noon in Sofia, Hristo Hristov, the meteorologist on duty at the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, told BTA. Pollution was highest in the capital’s Nadezhda borough, according to data from the Sofia Municipality’s air quality information boards, published on the municipal administration’s website. In the early afternoon, air pollution levels in Sofia began to decline, he added. 

Hristov explained that the highest pollution levels were around 100 micrograms per cubic metre, noting that such high pollution levels, in his view, were not solely the result of the fire in Belgrade. According to him, it is normal for pollution from the Belgrade area in Serbia, as well as from other smaller fires there that broke out Monday, to reach Sofia when there is a strong northwesterly wind. However, the highest pollution levels are likely also due to a fire that occurred earlier on Tuesday in Sofia, Hristov believes.

In the late afternoon, Sofia Municipality said that the air quality in the capital was improving, and the haze was expected to dissipate permanently. Following a brief peak in concentrations of fine particulate matter around noon, data from all monitoring stations as of 3 p.m. showed a downward trend in levels, the press release reads.

In another press release, later on Tuesday, the Environment and Water Ministry said that the data indicated a downward trend in the concentration of fine particulate matter recorded at the Nadezhda station. As of 4 p.m., a concentration of 64 micrograms per cubic metre was recorded. No levels exceeding the regulatory limits have been recorded for the other monitored pollutants - ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulphur dioxide.

In Kostinbrod Municipality, the BG-ALERT public warning system was activated, advising people to keep the windows and doors of their homes closed. The local authorities urged local residents on Facebook to avoid staying outdoors due to a large fire in Serbia, which has brought heavy smoke in the area. 

In Dragoman Municipality, the local authorities gave similar advice on Facebook and urged residents to follow the official announcements and seek medical help in case of respiratory difficulties. A mobile automatic monitoring station has been provided to monitor the air quality in Dragoman, the Environment and Water Ministry said in a press release.

Bozhurishte Municipality has been affected by heavy smoke due to a fire in Serbia, the municipality said on its official Facebook page. Residents are advised to close windows and doors, avoid staying outdoors, refrain from strenuous physical activity outdoors, and keep children and the elderly indoors.

Smoke has also been reported in Tran Municipality (Western Bulgaria), Mayor Tsvetislava Tsvetkova said. Many villages in the municipality are affected. Border Police officers, volunteers, and representatives of the forestry service, as well as deputy mayors and municipal employees, have been mobilized to assess the situation.

The Municipality of Godech, too, warned residents of possible smoke due to a fire in Serbia and advised them to stay indoors and close all windows. Mayor Radoslav Asenov told BTA that at present, the smoke is not heavy and there is strong wind.

There is smoke in Slivnitsa Municipality as a result of a fire in Serbia, Mayor Vasko Stoilkov told BTA. He noted that he and a team from the municipality had surveyed the areas near the border. Todor Petkov, Mayor of the village of Aldomirovtsi in Slivnitsa Municipality, told BTA that they got worried because it was very windy. Petkov clarified that the fire was entirely within Serbian territory. “We are in contact with the firefighting teams, as well as with the neighboring municipality of Breznik in Pernik Region,” he added.

The Kyustendil police told BTA that a major fire that broke out in the area of the Serbian capital could cause smoke to drift into border towns in Kyustendil Municipality. The Regional Directorate of the Interior assured that there is currently no danger to people’s lives or health, but warned that residents of border towns may nevertheless smell smoke. Police also stated that they are prepared to issue a notification via BG-ALERT to promptly inform the public and prevent public concern.