Wildfires in Dimovtsi and ammunition warehouse fire in Bulgaria

Large-scale wildfires have struck central Bulgaria, primarily affecting the area around the village of Dimovtsi in the Gurkovo municipality. The fire has consumed approximately 2,000 decares of forest land. While the blaze initially threatened residential buildings, including some houses and outbuildings, emergency services successfully protected the main settlement of Dimovtsi.

Emergency response efforts involve approximately 110 to 120 personnel, including firefighters, forest officials, police, and soldiers from the 2nd Mechanized Brigade. Heavy machinery from Maritsa East 2 and Mini Maritsa-East has been deployed to create firebreaks. Two military Cougar helicopters were utilized for aerial firefighting, though their flights were temporarily suspended due to deteriorating weather conditions and strong winds.

A partial state of emergency was declared in Dimovtsi, and the BG-Alert system was activated to warn residents. In a separate incident on the same day, a fire broke out in an ammunition warehouse belonging to the EMKO weapons factory near Gorni Varvishta, causing explosions and prompting local authorities to cordon off the area. No casualties have been reported from either incident.