Bulgaria Honors St. Athanasius the Great on Winter Atanasovden
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church today commemorates St. Athanasius the Great, recognized as the "father of Orthodox theology"
The situation remains complicated with the fires in Maleshevska Mountain, Strumyani, and Slavyanka Mountain, as both fronts remain active. Commissioner Valentin Vassilev, regional director of the fire department in Blagoevgrad, reported that about 6,000 decares of state forest territory and over 3,000 decares of agricultural land have been affected in Maleshevo Mountain. The total perimeter of the fire is estimated to be between 10,000 and 12,000 decares as of 7 a.m. this morning.
In the center of the village of Mikrevo, an efficient organization has been set up for dispatching firefighters to the front in Maleshevska Planina and towards the border. Vassilev emphasized the goal of ensuring coverage in all populated areas by firefighting teams, military, and forest officials. With ample equipment on the ground, efforts are being made to limit the perimeter of the fire. The main front of spread is towards the west, and it is hoped that aviation equipment will also be involved after 9 a.m.
Aviation equipment, including two French planes and helicopters from the Bulgarian Army, has been provided to assist the hundreds of firefighters on the ground. However, the simultaneous operation of helicopters and planes is avoided due to the risk it poses to the crews. Alexander Jartov, director of the General Directorate "Fire Safety and Protection of the Population," described the fires as "complex fires on large areas with strong wind and rough terrain."
The fire on the Bulgarian-Greek border has advanced approximately 200-300 meters into Bulgarian territory. Despite the creation of clearings, the fire remains uncontrollable due to strong winds. Jartov commented to BNR that the situation continues to be severe and challenging, particularly because of the minefields preventing direct intervention by firefighters.
Chief Commissioner Alexander Jartov noted that the fire at Strumyani developed at an extremely rapid pace, making it impossible to contain initially. The containment efforts in Mount Slavyanka are focused on creating clearings, as safety is the primary concern. He described the fire as very heavy and difficult to manage, stressing the challenges posed by the fast-moving flames and rough terrain.
Transport Minister Grozdan Karadjov has officially accepted the resignations of Engineer Stoyan Stoyanov, head of the National Company "Railway Infrastructure" (NRIC), and Christian Krastev, manager of BDZ-Freight Transport
Thirteen-year-old Nikolay from the village of Konare, Stara Zagora region, has been missing for a month
A 59-year-old man who was injured in a collision between two freight trains near the Sofia village of Lokorsko remains in critical condition
A serious railway accident occurred near Sofia, in the Lokorsko region
In late December, three migrant teens died in Bulgaria after being abandoned in the forest near the border with Turkey
A fire broke out in a room on the third floor of a historic building on Gladston Street in Plovdiv
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