Fight against Fire near Sungurlare Continues for the Fourth Day

The battle against the fire in the Sungurlare (Southeastern Bulgaria) area has entered its fourth day, with active hotspots still remaining. Fire crews stayed on site throughout the night to monitor the situation.

The blaze has been raging since midday on Friday. Yesterday, August 10, strong winds pushed the flames towards the village of Skala, but the swift intervention of firefighters prevented the fire from reaching the settlement. Two Swedish aircraft and a helicopter joined the firefighting efforts from the air. The fire has engulfed forest between the villages of Skala and Beronovo, destroying more than 1,000 hectares. There is currently no threat to populated areas. The declared state of emergency remains in force.

Residents of the care home for the elderly, who were evacuated as a precaution, spent another night in the centre where they are being housed.

Engineer Dimitar Gavazov, Mayor of Sungurlare Municipality:
"Until about 2 a.m. I was inside the forest with firefighters, volunteers and municipal staff. We managed, to a large extent, to stop the spread of the fire towards the populated areas of Skala and Beronovo, but unfortunately there are still active hotspots. That is why today, in a short while, we will convene the crisis headquarters to decide on the day’s firefighting strategy. At present, there are two fronts – one towards Skala and another towards Beronovo. As a rule, the wind picks up after midday, so again today we expect high temperatures and we hope the wind will not be as strong as it was yesterday."

Aerial assistance is also expected again today in tackling the blaze.

"We have been assured that the helicopter from Novo Selo and the two Swedish firefighting aircraft will again take part in operations from the air. All fire safety teams are on the ground; they were here throughout the night and will remain in place today. On site we also have many volunteers, heavy machinery and bulldozers. More volunteers are expected as we organise today’s operations to determine how the firefighting effort will proceed."