Two forest rangers were killed and a third were injured in Bulgaria on Wednesday as they took part in efforts to put out a number of wildfires that have multiplied this week, the interior ministry said.
The two men were caught in the flames near a village in the Sandanski area, where a fire broke out in the morning.
Four houses were also destroyed in another fire in the Starosell area, where the army mobilized a helicopter to help firefighters.
Another helicopter, firefighting and military vehicles have been involved in a large fire since yesterday in the Stara Planina mountain range in the Karlovo region of central Bulgaria.
On Monday, at least six houses and an old school were completely burnt in the fire that reached the houses of a village in the area of Kyustendul.
Bulgaria has been hit by a heat wave since last week and the meteorological service has issued a warning that extremism will continue in most parts of the country. In the last few days, 200-240 fires have been recorded every day, as the head of the fire brigade, Nikola Nikolov, said today, speaking on the public television BNT. According to Nikolov, 93% of fires are caused by human activity and due to the heat, drought and winds they quickly become large.
