A fire that broke out on Sunday night at the Bobov Dol Thermal Power Plant in Bulgaria has been fully extinguished, BGNES reported. According to Katya Tabachka, spokesperson for the Kyustendil Regional Police Directorate, the blaze began around 9:00 p.m. in a transformer at the plant's first unit. The situation was brought under control by shortly after 11:00 p.m., though fire crews remained on site through the night as a precaution.

Firefighting teams from Bobov Dol, Dupnitsa, and Kyustendil responded to the emergency, joined by additional reinforcements. The incident prompted concern among residents in nearby Golemo Selo, where a light odor of gas was detected. Local mayor Vasil Vasev confirmed that the evening had been tense for the community.

Commissioner Svetlin Georgiev, who leads the Regional Fire Safety and Population Protection Service in Kyustendil, clarified that the plant’s fuel sources - coal and straw - were not involved in the incident. Importantly, no technological processes or lines within the power station were affected by the fire.

The Ministry of Environment and Water announced that an inspection was underway, led by a team from the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water (RIEW) in Sofia. The probe was initiated following a signal about the fire at the plant in Golemo Selo. In response to the potential environmental risk, a mobile automated air quality monitoring station was deployed in the area.

Initial data released by the General Directorate for Fire Safety and Civil Protection indicate that no exceedances in air quality norms were detected. Monitoring is ongoing, and RIEW Sofia has committed to providing updates on the results.

According to information provided earlier by the Interior Ministry to BTA, no injuries were reported in connection with the incident.

In addition, the wildfire near the village of Stefan Karadjovo has been brought under control, though firefighting crews remained on-site throughout the night to monitor the situation, BNT reported.

The blaze consumed nearly 2,000 acres of dry vegetation, including grass, shrubs, and woodland. As a safety measure, 200 residents were evacuated. The operation to contain the fire involved teams from Yambol, Burgas, and Sliven, along with forestry officials, volunteers, and local farmers.

Sources:

• BTA
• BGNES
• BNT