Fire Station Closing Protest in Bulgaria's Pamporovo

For about an hour on 13th of November, forest owners, residents and workers in Pamporovo ski resort blocked the traffic on the main road Smolyan - Plovdiv, periodically letting waiting cars to pass. The protest was staged over the intended closure of the firefighting service in the resort.

The people insist that the service be kept in place because the fire fighting teams in Pamporovo cover not only thearea of the resort, but also the villages around it - Progled, Stoikite, Shiroka Luka and especially during the active tourist season when Pamporovo ski resort is visited by 15,000 tourists.

The protesters were visited by the Head of Chief Directorate "Fire Safety and Protection of the Population", Chief Commissioner Nikolai Nikolov. He, together with the mayor of Chepelare and the mayor of Samokov, came to a meeting in the Council of Ministers dedicated to the issue of closing down the fire station.

Later on 13th of November, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov held a working meeting with the mayor of Chepelare Slavka Chakarova and the mayor of Samokov Vladimir Georgiev; Minister of Finance Vladislav Goranov and representatives of the Ministry of Interior.

It will seek to solve the problem with the closure of the fire service in the winter resorts of Borovets and Pamporovo.

Source: The Bulgarian National TV