Stara Zagora is on Fire!

Over the past week, Bulgaria has been hit with extreme heat as the temperatures have reached record breaking highs. With these high temperatures recorded to be as high as 42 Celsius degrees (106 Fahrenheit) in some parts also comes fires and death. As of Monday, 2 Bulgarians were reported dead after the heat wave. And to top it off, different regions around Bulgaria have been hit with wildfires.

(Fires in Ayazmoto park. Picture taken from the Sofia News Agency online.)

Bulgarian fire fighters contained 22 wildfires throughout the country overnight on Tuesday. And the Stara Zagora region (my region) remains the worst hit by the blazes. Dozens of additional fire fighters were dispatched to help contain the fires, some of which have been slowly expanding. People from the town and nearby villages have also joined the fierce battle with the flames, as country's resources are stretched thin after a week of this. Even the environmental NGO Green Balkans here in town has gone up to the park to help build a fire line with other city volunteers just trying to help.

(An empty pool.)

What does this all mean for me? Well, it has managed to cut my pool time short. I have been a daily visitor to the pool all week trying to soak up the sun before I head back to the real world. And today, I had to leave the pool early! I started to notice small black dust covering my body. But this wasn't dust; this was ash from the local fires blowing my way. When I went into the pool to wash myself off, I saw the pool too, was in bad shape. There was ash everywhere. Not to mention the air was filled with the smell of smoke. Upon my better judgment, I packed up and headed back home, to breath the fresh air of indoors. What a bust!