Three helicopters arrived at Plovdiv Airport under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. One came from Hungary, the second from Slovakia, and the third from France. They will join firefighting efforts this morning to combat the country's largest wildfire, located near Strumyani in the Kresna Gorge. Strong winds in the area are hampering efforts to contain the blaze, which has already destroyed 13,000 decares of forest. A helicopter from the Czech Republic, as well as two firefighting planes from Sweden, are expected to arrive on July 28.

''We must have our own capabilities for aerial firefighting. The existing ones are extremely insufficient'', said Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev, who welcomed the foreign aircraft at Plovdiv Airport, reported the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA).

269 fires have been extinguished across the country in the past 24 hours. No injuries have been reported, according to the Fire Safety and Civil Protection Directorate General. The situation remains serious, especially in the southern part of the country, summarized Chief Commissioner Aleksandar Dzhartov, head of the Fire Safety and Civil Protection Directorate General.

The battle against the large fire near the Lesovo border checkpoint has entered its third day. Turkiye has also joined the firefighting efforts, sending six fire trucks from Edirne and 21 firefighters.

Published and translated by Kostadin Atanasov

Photo: BTA