Strong Wind Ignited Smoldering Fires near Sredets

Strong winds have reignited smouldering fire pots near Sredets, in the vicinity of the village of Granitets.
According to the fire service, one of the hotspots is located in a hard-to-access area. At present, the blaze is a ground fire, but there is a risk it could develop into a crown fire due to strong gusts of wind, as was the case yesterday.

The fire has been contained for now and poses no immediate threat to the settlement. Four fire engines are currently operating on site. So far, the flames have destroyed 1,000 hectares, causing significant damage to forest resources and agricultural land, and have burned down an uninhabited house. The state of emergency declared for the three localities affected by the fire in Sredets Municipality remains in force.

Senior Inspector Nikolay Kostadinov of the Burgas Regional Directorate of Fire Safety and Civil Protection stated:

“Today will once again be dedicated to patrols around the entire perimeter of the fire, with aerial monitoring by drone. The area will be surveyed from all directions to identify smouldering hotspots and isolated burning tree stumps, both along the perimeter and inside the affected zone. Because of the strong wind, and given that grass grows beneath the tree canopy and the trees themselves are relatively low, the flames can be carried by the wind into the tree crowns. From there, the fire can spread rapidly from tree to tree, turning into a crown fire, even though it is within a broadleaf forest.”