10,000 Decares of Forest Burnt by the Wildfire in Sredets, Three Villages Remain in a State of Emergency

Three villages in the municipality of Sredets are under a state of emergency due to wildfires. The forest between the villages of Skala and Beronovo has been engulfed in flames, with more than 10,000 decares of woodland burnt.

Thousands of decares have burned in just four days, and the fight against the fire continues at this hour. The affected areas are mainly forests and agricultural fields. The blaze is a ground fire and has now been contained, but strong winds are sparking new outbreaks. The state of emergency in Sredets Municipality therefore remains in force.

At present, the fire is closest to the village of Granitets. Heavy machinery has been used to cut firebreaks to prevent the flames from reaching residents’ homes. While there is currently no direct threat to the population, fear among locals remains high.

A little more than a kilometre separates the flames from the first houses in the village of Granitec. For the fourth day, people have been living in fear that the wind could carry the fire to their homes.

Maria Yalabukova, a resident of Granitets village:
"How can we sleep? We just can’t be calm. There are so many dry grasses and such a mess everywhere in the village that if it catches fire, it’s impossible to escape. I have water stored there, and here I have barrels of water. My animals will burn, and if their feed burns too, what am I supposed to take? Just the shirt on my back? I don’t need anything else!"

By midday, some of the extinguished fires reignited.

Ivan Kichev, Mayor of Sredets Municipality:
"There are four fire crews there."

Nikolay Georgiev, Head of the Regional Fire Safety and Protection Directorate – Elhovo:
"There is no danger to the population or any inhabited area."

The flames started along the road to the village of Slivovo and destroyed an uninhabited house.

Velichka Plachkova, Mayoral Representative in the village of Slivovo:
"The wind was very strong, and it spread extremely quickly. We managed to save the first houses in the village so that the fire would not enter the settlement. A large amount of agricultural land has burned — close to 1,000–1,200 decares."

The cause of the fire is still unknown.

Ivan Kichev, Mayor of Sredets Municipality:
"This is, once again, either negligence — or, if it is intentional, even worse. But the fact that it started on both sides of the road almost simultaneously leads me to believe that there was some deliberate action here."

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