Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

More than 200 forest fires in Bulgaria since beginning of 2016

Photo: BGNES

Since the beginning of the year, more than 200 forest fires have taken place on the territory of Bulgaria. Natural fires that erupted because of lightning were just 2 percent. Seven percent of fires were proven to be intentional. 80 percent were caused by negligence and 14 percent erupted because of unknown reasons. "Guilt of perpetrators is difficult to prove as they must be caught while committing the crime. In most cases authorities rely on confessions from perpetrators," Vladimir Konstantinov, an expert from the Forestry Agency, told the Bulgarian National Radio in an interview. Currently, there are video surveillance systems, enabling prevention and rapid response to fires, but they cover about 15-20% of the forest areas of the country, the expert added. Each year some 22,000 decares of Bulgarian forests burn.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Bulgaria faces widespread rain and cooler temperatures

On Thursday, minimum temperatures will range from 3° to 19°C, with eastern areas reaching 15–19°C and Sofia around 6°C. The day will be cloudy with widespread rain. Heavy rainfall is expected in western regions overnight and in central and southern..

published on 11/26/25 7:05 PM

Georg Georgiev: Support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia must continue

“Solutions for achieving peace in Ukraine must be based on fundamental principles of the UN Charter, such as sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.” This was stated by Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev at the informal video..

published on 11/26/25 6:41 PM
Ivelin Mihaylov

Bulgaria’s Anti-Corruption Commission probes 'Velichie' party in major property fraud case

Bulgaria’s Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating a large-scale property fraud and money laundering scheme connected to the 'Historical Park', which is associated with Ivelin Mihaylov, the leader of the Velichie party. Those arrested include the..

published on 11/26/25 2:30 PM