site.btaFirecracker Play Causes Wildfire in Shumen Plateau Nature Park

Children playing with firecrackers caused a forest fire that broke out on August 7 in the Shumen Plateau Nature Park, the park’s administration said on Friday on their official Facebook page.

According to the post, eyewitnesses who reported the fire described seeing children throw firecrackers and then run away.

The blaze destroyed nearly two hectares of mixed forest.

Firefighters from Shumen, Novi Pazar, and Veliki Preslav took part in the extinguishing efforts, along with staff from all local forestry units, the Shumen Plateau Nature Park Directorate, and volunteers. The fire also threatened the local power grid as it broke out near electric poles, which led to a temporary power outage in a nearby neighbourhood, the park authorities added.