site.btaDefence Ministry Gears Up for Fire Season with Enhanced Aviation Capabilities in 2025

After a joint hearing at the parliamentary Committee on Defence and the Committee on Foreign Policy, Minister of Defence Atanas Zapryanov told reporters in Parliament on Thursday that his Ministry is preparing for the fire season, and the country's aviation capabilities will be much greater this year.

The Minister reported: "We were engaged with about 40 servicepersons in Veliko Tarnovo (North Central Bulgaria), with two helicopters. The situation there is under control. Now we have one module in Sliven (Southeastern Bulgaria). The Prime Minister [Rosen Zhelyazkov] has given us a task, and we are preparing a special report to brief him on all the capabilities."

The Chair of the parliamentary Committee on Defence, Hristo Gadzhev (GERB-UDF), told the reporters that in 2024, the 50th National Assembly came up with its own decision on the issue of fire eradication, and most of the measures that were identified have already been implemented. The Council of Ministers reports monthly on their implementation to the National Assembly.

Earlier Thursday, the General Directorate of Fire Safety and Civil Protection reported that 279 fires have been extinguished in the country in the last 24 hours. Firefighters responded to 377 accident alerts. The fires did not lead to any casualties.