Help WWF bring the lynx back to Bulgaria

This past summer, Bulgaria was on fire again. Flames engulfed large areas of forest, destroying the homes of many wild animals. This includes the preferred habitat of the lynx—the old-growth forests.

How big are forest fires in Bulgaria?

According to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), over the past 16 years (2010–2025), fires have burned an average of about 12,000 hectares of Bulgarian forests (120,000 decares). This area is about half the size of Vitosha Nature Park. It is particularly alarming that the areas burned in the last two years have been much larger: nearly 450,000 decares in 2024 and nearly 330,000 decares in 2025.

The forest areas most at risk in Bulgaria are those in the southeastern and southwestern parts of the country—the regions of Haskovo, Yambol, Burgas, Stara Zagora, and Blagoevgrad, as well as Kyustendil and the Sofia region. In northwestern Bulgaria (the regions of Vidin and Montana) and in the central parts of northern Bulgaria (the region of Lovech), fires are less frequent but, in some cases, reach larger sizes. This is indicated by official statistics from the Bulgarian Executive Forestry Agency and EFFIS for the period 2010–2025, summarized in a report by WWF Bulgaria.

What is particularly concerning about these statistics is the trend over the past three decades: the fire season is getting longer, leading to a year-round risk of wildfires, while both the number of fires and the size of the areas affected have increased sharply.

The main reason for this alarming trend is climate change, which is leading to prolonged droughts and heat waves. Another contributing factor is the government’s failure to respond quickly enough to the growing risks.

What is WWF Bulgaria doing about the issue?

For the second year in a row, in addition to calling on institutions to take timely measures for fire prevention and response, WWF Bulgaria joined the fight against forest fires with an awareness-raising and fundraising campaign. The funds raised through donations went toward equipping volunteers, as well as rescuing and rehabilitating wild animals affected by fires.

A total of 1,200 people took part in the campaign, and their donations totaled nearly €24,000! We sincerely thank all our donors for their support and compassion!

And we sincerely thank everyone who continues to support our mission to bring the lynx back to Bulgaria! We can only make a real difference if we work together.

Links:

• More information about wildfires in Bulgaria