Bulgaria is expected to have dedicated firefighting aircraft by next year, according to General Nikolay Nikolov, advisor to the Minister of Interior and coordinator of efforts to combat the recent fire resurgence in the Pirin region.

Currently, Bulgaria faces 51 active fires nationwide, with 10 already fully extinguished. Nikolov emphasized that no immediate threat exists to populated areas at this time. The most critical fires remain in Pirin, where firefighting operations have been ongoing for 18 days. Other significant incidents include the Sredets fire, which is localized and nearing containment, and the Sungurlare blaze, where work continues on the remaining active front.

Over 160 firefighters and forest officials are engaged in suppressing the Pirin fires. Today, teams will focus their efforts on two persistent outbreaks, supported by aerial firefighting assets, according to Valentin Vassilev, regional fire department director in Blagoevgrad.

A multi-ministerial working group, involving the Ministries of Interior, Transport, and Defense, is currently drafting a plan for acquiring additional firefighting aircraft. This proposal will be submitted to Parliament for approval. General Nikolov noted that the government is grateful to the Air Force for maintaining at least three helicopters capable of firefighting, as well as to the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism for its support.

The creation of this inter-ministerial task force, initiated by the Prime Minister, aims to establish the most effective airborne firefighting strategy. The hope is that new helicopters will be introduced by next year, significantly enhancing Bulgaria’s capacity to respond to wildfires from the air.