Six fire crews are battling a wildfire near the village of Pobeda, in Tundzha municipality, at the foot of Bakadzhik peak. Yambol regional governor Georgi Chalakov and Ivan Dinev, head of the Yambol fire safety and population protection directorate, are at the scene.
The fire first spread on three fronts — toward Bakadzhik, toward Pobeda and toward the village of Chelnik — but has now been contained. Tundzha mayor Stancho Stavrev told reporters no villages are in danger. The municipality has not declared a partial state of emergency.
Firefighters, soldiers and farmers are working together to put out the fire. The defence ministry says 140 troops from the 42nd mechanised battalion of the Second Mechanised Brigade are helping contain it. A third Cougar helicopter, crewed by the 24th air base, joined the effort after taking off from the base in Krumovo at 5:29pm, heading for Pobeda.
The fire has moved into hard-to-reach terrain, but firefighters, soldiers and farmers have kept it inside the wooded area.
Stavrev said it will take time to work out the damage to farmers. He added that many vineyards have burned, though the full extent of the losses is not yet clear.
For a second day, crews are also fighting a fire near the village of Gorno Lukovo, in Ivaylovgrad municipality, where about 3,000 decares of forest, scrub and grassland have burned. A Cougar helicopter from the 24th air base is helping there too.