A large fire devastated the largest reed stand on the shore of Varna Lake. Acres of plant and animal life on the territory of the protected areas “Kaazashko” and “Mochurishte” were affected, a team of the Public Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development saw. The fire broke out in the midday hours of 29 June. According to the village mayor, 15 minutes after the signal was given, the first fire brigade was called. Because of the problematic terrain, controlling the fire was extremely difficult, and the firefighters were joined by villagers and several volunteers from Varna.

,,Around 12.45 hours we received a signal of a fire in distress near the village of Kazashko. At least 15 acres were affected by the fire, with firefighters arriving at the scene several times. The first fire brigade turned up within 15 minutes of the signal, but due to the strong wind, the fire continued until late in the evening. It was extremely difficult to contain. The firefighters were joined by villagers, each with a bucket of water,” said Gergana Petkova, mayor of the village of Kazashko.

Radhi, who witnessed the event, tells of the devastating disaster. According to him, the fire looked huge and started spreading as early as 11 o’clock. He believes the fire was deliberately started. Along with his friend, he arrived at the scene at 4 pm with the intention of helping. There he witnessed the fire department’s efforts to control the flames around the railroad tracks. According to him, the fire-fighting efforts were mainly directed at the railway line and not at the cane fields nor at the homes and greenhouses of the residents. By 23:30, a new fire had formed, which Rady and his friends managed to control.

“In some places it was burning strongly, the flames were up to 30 cm high. Only in areas with dense reeds did they reach 10 metres. The fire in the reed fields overtook the fire brigade and the fire spread to the railway line. Then intensive firefighting was needed in that area,” says the volunteer.

As a result of the fire, a rather worrying problem became visible – unregulated dumps in the area. Such waste often causes fires to spread quickly, and illegal dumping is a serious problem, especially in a protected area. A day after the extinguishment, the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water (RIEW) – Varna, made an inspection.

The total burned area is about 10 hectares, with an area of about 3 hectares affected on the territory of the protected area “Kazashko” and the protected area “Mochurishte”, RIEW reported. The territory affected by the fire also falls within a protected area of the Natura 2000 ecological network: for the conservation of wild birds – “Varna Beloslav Lake”. During the inspection the eco-inspectors did not find any affected and distressed animal species. According to the RIEW, the affected vegetation is expected to recover within a few months, with the onset of the rainy season. Fromдържавната инспекция очакват предоставяне на данни