Bulgaria Fights Wildfire on Slavyanka Mountain: Clearing and International Aid in Action

Efforts to contain the wildfire on the Slavyanka mountain, which borders Greece, continue as authorities work to manage the blaze. Today, a new area of 1,200 decares will be cleared and fenced off using bulldozers to prevent the fire from spreading further. Over 120 people will be engaged in these efforts, but there are ongoing concerns about outbreaks from the Greek side that continue to affect Bulgarian territory, threatening valuable plant species, ancient moor plantations, and endemic flora.

Several firefighting teams will remain stationed on the eastern front of the blaze, which was largely controlled last night. The focus today will be on the new fire area that recently crossed into Bulgarian territory. Excavators and bulldozers are working to establish a clearing to contain the fire and protect populated areas. While significant progress was made on the previous fire, teams will leave a few groups in place to handle lingering hotspots.

Engineer Plamen Poyukov, director of State Forestry-Katuntsi, highlighted the challenges faced. He noted that juniper, a highly flammable plant, complicates firefighting efforts due to its intense burning and high flames reaching 5-6 meters. Poyukov expressed concerns about the ongoing situation, including the economic impact, depletion of human resources, and the severe damage to ecosystems.