The fire situation in Bulgaria remains complicated. Despite the rain and cooler weather, emergency teams are on duty throughout the night to prevent the already extinguished fires from reigniting.

About 30,000 decares were burned in the large fire in Pirin. The situation remains extremely complicated due to strong winds. Both main fronts of the fire are still active - towards Kresna and towards Strumyani and Sandanski, despite four helicopters spraying water throughout the day yesterday.

The fire in the Bakadjika area near Yambol has been brought under control. Yesterday, the BG-ALERT system was activated in the village of Melnica, Elkhovo, due to the burning fires in the Haskovo villages in the area of the villages of Ustrem and Srem. At the moment, there is no direct danger to the village of Melnica.

The situation in the area of the village of Lesovo on the Bulgarian-Turkish border is also under control - there is no danger to the border crossing point.

A fire has engulfed an area of dry grass and bushes near Malko Tarnovo, according to the Border Police Directorate. The fire has spread to part of the landfill and agricultural land. Volunteers remained on site throughout the night to limit the spread of the fire.

FM Daniel Mitov: Fires are decreasing, Swedish planes are arriving in the evening

Another day in which the battle with the fires continues, firefighters are on site. We are expecting assistance under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, with Swedish planes now joining in. They are due to arrive this evening. Four helicopters will be working in Strumyani, and three more in Haskovo and Yambol, but overall the fires are decreasing, said Interior Minister Daniel Mitov in connection with the fires in Bulgaria this morning.

Farmers with burned areas must notify the Ministry of Agriculture

The Ministry of Agriculture reminds farmers that in the event of a fire on agricultural land, they must notify the State Fund "Agriculture" within 15 working days from the date of the fire's extinguishment. Land that has been burned but not reported will be deprived of subsidies.

As part of fire prevention measures, the traditional practice of burning stubble and other plant residues has been banned for years. If a fire breaks out on agricultural land, the owner must submit a notification of force majeure circumstances. The notification is submitted to the regional directorate of the Agriculture Fund, and if it is not submitted, the burned areas will be considered ineligible for financial support for the 2025 campaign. The Ministry of Agriculture also reminds that from July 10, there is a ban on mowing grass from 8 a.m. to 3 a.m. The ban on mowing does not apply to areas in Natura 2000 protected areas if it is done only at night and manually or with slow mowers.

In case of non-compliance, fines or property sanctions will be imposed by the respective directors of the regional directorates of the Agriculture Fund.

Military personnel participate in extinguishing large forest fires in southern Bulgaria

Military personnel from the Army and Air Force with specialized equipment are participating in extinguishing large forest fires in the regions of Blagoevgrad, Haskovo, and Yambol.

In the Blagoevgrad region, a Cougar helicopter with a crew from the 24th Air Base joined the aerial firefighting efforts to extinguish the large forest fire in the area of the village of Ilindentsi, Strumyani Municipality. On the ground, in coordination with the Regional Fire Safety and Civil Protection Service, 23 military personnel with specialized equipment from the 3rd Mechanized Battalion of the 3rd Brigade Command, led by Senior Lieutenant Yordan Petrov, are also involved.

In the Yambol region, a Mi-17 helicopter with a crew from the 24th Air Base joined in extinguishing the fire in the villages of Lesovo and Melnica, Elhovo Municipality. Twenty military personnel with six pieces of specialized equipment from the 42nd Mechanized Battalion of the 2nd Tundzha Mechanized Brigade, led by Senior Lieutenant Vasil Todorov, are also working on the fire in the Bakadzhik area, Tundzha Municipality.

In the Haskovo region, 23 military personnel with six pieces of specialized equipment from the 31st Mechanized Battalion of the 2nd Tundzha Mechanized Brigade, led by Senior Lieutenant Ivan Stanoev, are fighting the fire burning in the area of the village of Srem, Topolovgrad Municipality.

A total of 66 military personnel with specialized equipment from the Land Forces formations are on the ground today. I BGNES