Number of fires in Bulgaria is rising during the summer season

A rise in the number of fires has been recorded in Bulgaria since the beginning of the summer season, the Director of the General Directorate for Fire Safety and Civil Protection, Chief Commissioner Alexander Dzhartov, said. In recent days, fire services have been responding to an average of 100 to 150 emergency calls per day.

For the current fire season, six helicopters from the Bulgarian Air Force have been allocated, the chief commissioner added while taking part in a large-scale wildfire response exercise at the Tyulbeto training ground near the town of Kazanlak.

New firefighting equipment is expected to be delivered under the “Human Resources Development 2021-2027” programme, which aims primarily to improve response capabilities in forest fire situations. In addition, 84 drones will be provided to support the Regional Fire Safety and Civil Protection Services.

“It is extremely important for us to understand the parameters of a given fire, which is why drones are of crucial importance. The other equipment that will be delivered includes fire extinguishers, chainsaws and pickup vehicles equipped with high-pressure firefighting systems,” Alexander Dzhartov said.

Edited by Diana Tsankova