site.btaWildfire in Harmanli and Lyubimets Contained on All Fronts, Active Hotspots Remain Within Perimeter

The wildfire in the Harmanli and Lyubimets area has been contained on all fronts, but there are still active hotspots within its perimeter, Mitko Chakalov, director of the Regional Directorate for Fire Safety and Civil Protection in Haskovo, said on Thursday. The fire has already covered an area of over 3,000 hectares.

There is no danger to people in nearby settlements, Haskovo Regional Governor Stefka Zdravkova assured. No farm buildings have been affected. Zdravkova commented that the Ministry of Interior authorities handled the Wednesday eight-hour closure of the Maritsa motorway from the Harmanli junction to the Lyubimets junction perfectly due to the fire and the diversion of traffic to the old road between the two towns. Traffic on the motorway was restored at 8 p.m. on Wednesday. 

The partial state of emergency in the municipalities of Harmanli and Lyubimets continues. Regional Governor Zdravkova explained that declaring a state of emergency helps farmers recover from the damage caused by the fires. She also called for everything possible to be done to get the fire towers, which have a range of 30-40 km and detect fires in their early stages, up and running.