site.btaFire Near Panagyurishte Has Engulfed Some 200 Hectares of Forests

A fire that broke out in the vicinity of the villages of Banya and Oborishte and the town of Panagyurishte Thursday afternoon has engulfed some 200 hectares of forest, said the spokesperson of the Interior Ministry’s Regional Directorate in Pazardzhik, Miroslav Stoyanov.

Stoyanov said that the culprit is a combine harvester that caught fire during harvesting. The perpetrator has been identified and the Panagyurishte District Prosecution Office has initiated pre-trial proceedings in the case.

The police spokesperson noted that "the fire has not been localized yet, but it is not expanding". Teams from all fire services in the Pazardzhik Region, including those from Pazardzhik, Velingrad, Peshtera, Strelcha, Panagyurishte, Septemvri, Batak, and Rakitovo, have been dispatched to the scene. Representatives of forestry enterprises and local volunteers are also taking part in the firefighting efforts. SUVs and all-terrain vehicles have been deployed, along with a water tanker provided by Panagyurishte Municipality. Firebreaks are being made to localize the fire. A drone to monitor the area has been provided by the regional administration, Stoyanov said.

He noted that the gusty winds, which often change direction, make it difficult to fight the fire.