Bulgaria fights 236 fires and awaits EU help

Bulgaria is battling 236 forest fires on Sunday and is awaiting EU air reinforcements to contain the flames, said the head of the Bulgarian firefighting service, Alexander Dzhartov.

International aid will arrive this afternoon through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, with four helicopter tankers coming from France, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, while two air tankers were sent from Sweden, Dzhartov said, as quoted by the EFE news agency.

The fires coincide with an intense heat wave, with temperatures exceeding 40ºC (degrees Celsius) in several areas of the country.

Authorities have issued a red alert for extreme heat in 11 regions, including Blagoevgrad, about 100 kilometers southwest of Sofia, and Yambol, southeast of the capital, where some of the most severe fires are concentrated.

The largest fire on record affects the village of Ilindentsi, in the Blagoevgrad region, and is being fought by around 200 firefighters, with the support of the army.

During the night, the flames intensified and forced the withdrawal of rescue teams, while strong winds created a new front to the north, without, for now, there being any direct danger to the population.

In this area, thousands of hectares of forest have already been affected.

The second largest fire, with around 100 hectares burned, is located in the village of Rani Lug, in the Pernik region, 50 kilometers west of Sofia.

The flames reached homes, which were evacuated without any casualties.

The third largest fire, with approximately 50 hectares burned, is near Lesovo, in the Yambol region, near the Turkish border. Turkish authorities have sent aid to help extinguish the flames.

In the north of the country, near the city of Ruse, on the banks of the Danube, another fire of similar dimensions threatens a military ammunition depot, which has increased the authorities' concern.