A large wildfire that broke out near the Bobov Dol Thermal Power Plant in western Bulgaria has been brought largely under control after burning hundreds of decares of land and damaging part of a nearby photovoltaic park, authorities said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The fire erupted near the town of Bobov Dol in Kyustendil Province, spreading rapidly through dry grass beneath photovoltaic panels at a solar power park adjacent to the coal-fired power plant.

At the height of the incident, the blaze spread across an estimated 400 decares (40 hectares), prompting a major emergency response involving six municipal firefighting crews, the thermal power plant's own fire brigade and heavy machinery.

Kyustendil Regional Police spokesperson Katya Tabachka said parts of the photovoltaic installation, which covers roughly 1,000 decares, were damaged as the flames swept through the site. No injuries were reported.

Fire brought under control

Later on Friday, officials said firefighters had succeeded in bringing the blaze largely under control, although crews remained at the scene to extinguish several remaining hotspots and prevent the fire from reigniting.

Bobov Dol Thermal Power Plant Executive Director Chavdar Stoynev said there was no danger to the thermal power plant itself or to nearby communities, adding that the full extent of the damage to the photovoltaic panels and other equipment would be assessed once firefighting operations are completed.

Authorities said the investigation into the cause of the fire is continuing. Initial information indicates that the blaze spread through dry vegetation beneath the solar panels before expanding across the surrounding area.

The incident occurred at the 630-megawatt Bobov Dol Thermal Power Plant, one of Bulgaria's major coal-fired generating facilities, which has also invested in large-scale solar generation as part of its energy transition strategy. (ILKHA)