site.btaUPDATED Prime Minister Glavchev: Over 50 Forest Fires Reported in Past Week, Situation Is Under Control

In recent days, the country has been facing an extreme natural disaster. By comparison, since January, more than 260 fires have broken out in forested areas, covering more than 6,000 hectares, whereas in the past week alone, more than 50 fires have been reported on the territory of Bulgaria, covering 4,000 hec0t acres, of which a significant number are “high: fires, said Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev in Parliament. 

The situation, although extraordinary, is under control, the Prime Minister said. There are no casualties, no danger to nearby settlements in the area of the fires, he added. “I assure the citizens that there is no other task being carried out more rigorously than this one, Glavchev said.

The MPs are holding a hearing of Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev and the Ministers of Interior and Agriculture Kalin Stoyanov and Georgi Tahov on controlling the fires that started at the end of last week in the country and the necessary action to eliminate the consequences and help those affected.

The Prime Minister said that a task force has been set up for faster coordination. “I have instructed the Interior Ministry to open a line specifically for fire alerts, at 02/ 901 12 68, independently of the 112 emergency single number, which can also be used,” he said. 

“We have approached our partners to provide equipment. We have confirmation for two helicopters from the Czech Republic, Romania is ready,” said the Prime Minister.

The other day I contacted the Prime Minister of North Macedonia and as a result of this communication the heads of the two services are now in contact because there is a fire in the area of Petrich and Strumica where joint actions are needed, Dimitar Glavchev said. He added that there is also help from Turkiye with equipment.  

The Prime Minister reassured the Bulgarian citizens that the teams of the General Directorate for Fire Safety and Population Protection, the employees of the forestry service and the armed forces are on the ground. He thanked the volunteers involved for their timely intervention and sense of responsibility.