site.btaUPDATED Wildfire Rages near Sungurlare, Military Helicopters Join Firefighting Efforts

A fire is burning near Sungurlare, Burgas region, the Fire Safety and Civil Protection Directorate of the Ministry of Interior told BTA. The fire broke out on Friday, and according to information from the evening, it has covered an area of about 270 hectares. 

22 employees with seven fire trucks and a bulldozer are working on site to fight the fire. 

Forty people have been evacuated and accommodated in a home for adults with disabilities in the village of Slavyantsi, Sungurlare municipality, the municipality's press centre told BTA.

The fire has engulfed forests, farmland, and vineyards. At present, there is no immediate danger to the residents of Slavyantsi, but the situation is dynamic and is being monitored continuously. The mayor of Sungurlare municipality, Dimitar Gavazov, has convened a crisis management team, which is making decisions based on developments in the situation and the direction of the wind.

A state of emergency has been declared in the municipalities of Sungurlare, the villages of Beronovo, Skala, Slavyantsi, and the settlement of Balabanchevo for an indefinite period, according to the press centre of the Municipality of Sungurlare.

The order was issued by the mayor of the municipality, Dimitar Gavazov. It instructs individuals and legal entities to cooperate and provide assistance to the best of their ability. If necessary, additional forces and resources will be engaged to carry out urgent emergency operations.

Senior Commissioner Nikolay Nikolaev, director of the fire department in Burgas, has been appointed to lead the operations.

Crews from the 24th Air Base in Krumovo with two AS-532 AL Cougar helicopters joined in the firefighting efforts, the press centre of the Defence Ministry said. 

Two aircraft from Sweden are heading to the area of the village of Slavyantsi, Sungurlare municipality, to assist in extinguishing the fire in the area, Nikolay Nikolaev told BTA.

"The fire covers a large area and is spreading on two fronts—one passing through a populated area and the other moving through dense forest. In this part, the fire is intense, which requires the use of aerial equipment and watercraft," Nikolaev said.

The situation in Sungurlare remains extremely serious, according to a statement from the Sungurlare Municipality press centre regarding the fire in the area, which has now been brought under control but is still extensive.