A protest organized by employees from Bulgaria’s state forestry and hunting farms escalated on Monday near the 119th kilometer of the Trakia highway, not far from Plovdiv. Demonstrators demanded higher wages and increased state funding for the forestry sector. According to the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria (CITUB), the event was planned to involve a full highway blockade, despite a prior ban issued by the mayor of Maritsa Municipality.
Over 500 forestry sector workers gathered at a gas station near the highway exit to Sofia. They were joined by members of the “Podkrepa” Labor Confederation, expressing solidarity with the demand for improved working conditions and adequate compensation. Tensions rose after nearly 200 gendarmerie and police officers were dispatched to prevent protesters from occupying the roadway.
Shortly after 11:00 a.m., confrontation broke out as protesters turned toward the police cordon. The clash resulted in the arrest of a protester wearing a CITUB vest. The individual was later identified by organizers as Todor Kapitanov, the vice president of the CITUB. Kapitanov was reportedly taken into custody following a scuffle with officers and transported to the police station in the village of Trud. Protesters reacted by marching toward the village to demand his immediate release.
The demonstrators reiterated their firm insistence on the implementation of a proposal by Agriculture Minister Georgi Tahov, which calls for an average 15% wage increase for employees in state forestry enterprises and their regional branches, effective from June 1. The proposal, outlined in a meeting with union representatives on June 30, suggests a 20% salary increase for those earning under 2,000 leva, and a 10% raise for those above that threshold.
Protesters described their current salaries – ranging from 1,200 to 1,300 leva – as unlivable, especially given the demanding and risky nature of their work. “We are being treated as police officers and firefighters without receiving pay that reflects that responsibility. Trying to feed a family on 1,200 leva is simply disgraceful,” one of the demonstrators said.
The demonstration on the highway follows earlier protests held by the National Federation “Agriculture and Forestry” within the Podkrepa union. Their demands center on stabilizing state enterprises, ensuring dignified wages, and improving occupational safety. The unions estimate that approximately 100 million leva are required annually from the state budget to fund the critical social functions assigned to state enterprises under the Forestry Act. They also cite financial losses driven by reduced timber consumption.
Meanwhile, a serious fire has broken out in the “Ostricite 2” villa zone near Burgas. Several houses are ablaze, prompting authorities to initiate evacuations. Despite the severity of the situation, the BG-Alert system was not activated. Three firefighting teams were dispatched to the area, as flames became visible from the main road connecting Burgas and Aytos.
Elsewhere, a separate wildfire is burning through approximately 60 acres of pine forest in the high-altitude terrain of the Rila Mountains. At 2,200 meters above sea level, the firefighting effort has been particularly challenging. Teams composed of 55 individuals – including volunteers, forestry personnel, and firefighters – set out at dawn to combat the blaze using only manual tools due to the rough conditions.
According to Milen Dankov, head of the Sofia Volunteer Formation, regular drills are conducted to maintain readiness for such operations. Volunteers and professionals relied on backpack sprayers, hoes, and fire batons to control the fireline. Stanislav Minchev, a volunteer, noted the lack of accessible water sources, which complicated their efforts.
Air support was provided by two helicopters from the Bulgarian Air Force. Chief Inspector Stefan Takhtadzhiyski explained that teams must travel significant distances – up to two and a half hours through difficult terrain – to reach different sections of the fire, including routes passing through dams and tunnels above the Iliina River.
This wildfire has been described as the most critical currently active in the country. According to Chief Commissioner Alexander Dzhartov, Director of the General Directorate for Fire Safety and Civil Protection (GDPBZN), the team’s progress is limited to daylight hours, allowing the fire to spread during the night and forcing a restart of containment efforts each morning.
Although the fire is far from the Rila Monastery and surrounding settlements, officials emphasize that only significant rainfall will extinguish the smoldering forest floor and eliminate the risk of rekindling.