Bulgaria’s Cabinet security council meets on devastating bush fires amid political criticism

Sofia: Bulgaria’s caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev convened a meeting of the government security council on July 19 to discuss the situation of the devastating wildfires that have scourged the country for days amid soaring temperatures.

The caretaker government’s response to the bush fires has been the subject of harsh political criticism, including calls for the resignation of Glavchev and caretaker Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov.

On July 19, the National Assembly voted unanimously – 201 votes in favour, none against and no abstentions – to oblige the caretaker government to secure funds from the Budget to support the victims of the fires.

Parliament’s decision obliges the caretaker government to report to it every week on the steps that it has taken.

It also obliges the government to explain what was done with the 170 million leva under the environment operational programme intended for the acquisition of firefighting equipment.

Glavchev and Stoyanov, on the second of a two-day visit to the Yambol district to inspect firefighting efforts, said that reports of fires were being received from all over Bulgaria every 20 minutes.

“The fronts are large, temperatures continue to be extremely high and the wind is very strong in places,” Glavchev said.

“In this difficult situation, the most important thing is to control the fires and to protect the lives of the people in the populated areas and those who are on the front line in the fight against the fire,” he said.

Glavchev and Stoyanov have rejected criticism of the handling of the fires. Earlier this week, Glavchev, visiting a fire-stricken area, said that the politicians who were complaining should “leave their air-conditioned rooms” and come to see for themselves.

The firefighting efforts are being assisted by Bulgaria’s military, the European Union, firefighters and equipment sent by Türkiye, and civilian volunteers.

The Agriculture Ministry said on July 18 that caretaker minister Georgi Tahov had ordered the setting up of expert commissions with representatives of the ministry’s regional directorates to ascertain the damage caused by fires in agricultural areas, including destroyed production and dead farm animals.

The commissions will visit the regions of the country where a state of emergency has been declared.

Farmers may be compensated for the loss of non-recultivated agricultural produce, animals, bee colonies and feed. The individual support ceiling that a farmer can receive within three consecutive tax years is up to 25 000 euro.

On July 17, Stoyanov told Parliament that a government interdepartmental disaster relief commission would provide support to people whose homes had been destroyed by fires.

President Roumen Radev, speaking on July 18, expressed gratitude to Czechia and Turkiye for the timely assistance they had provided to Bulgaria.

Radev expressed his gratitude to the employees of the fire safety and population protection service, the military, the local government and the hundreds of volunteers involved in extinguishing the fires, for the fact that in the extremely difficult situation, there were no casualties among the population.

He said that it was high time to provide sufficient funds for the necessary equipment that is used to extinguish fires.

“I very much hope that after these fires are put out, there will be a more careful approach to the capabilities required.” We have prepared people, we need more equipment,” Radev said.

Asked to comment on the way the Bulgarian government is handling it, the president indicated that it is a matter of comprehensive analysis when the fires are extinguished.

Bulgaria’s national weather bureau said that before midnight on July 19, there would be some scattered showers and thunderstorms in the mountains, but by morning the weather would be mostly clear.

On the afternoon of July 20, there would short, intense rain showers in many places, the weather bureau said.

Every district in Bulgaria is subject to the Code Yellow warning of potentially hazardous weather for July 20 because of forecast high temperatures. This was the latest in a series of weather warnings in recent days against the background of a prolonged heatwave affecting Bulgaria and other countries in South Eastern Europe.

The Bulgarian Red Cross is starting a campaign to raise funds to help the victims of the fires, the organisation announced. They will be used to provide emergency aid and assist the injured.

Those wishing to support the campaign can do so by sending an SMS worth one lev to the short number 1446 via all mobile operators.