Tension in Bogiovtsi (Богьовци): Fire, Logging, and Suspicions of a Solar Park

In the village of Bogyoftsi (Богьовци), Kostinbrod Municipality (община Костинброд), the soundscape is dominated by the noise of chainsaws, and residents are witnessing large-scale logging of the forest behind the settlement. As the trees fall, suspicions are growing within the local community that the destruction of nature is not merely a consequence of the summer fires, but a preparation for the construction of an industrial facility.

The Fire Disaster and the Reaction of the Institutions

The crisis began in July, when the forest behind the village of Bogyoftsi (Богьовци) was engulfed in flames. Among the people, doubts persist as to whether the fire was deliberate or accidental, but the community’s reaction was immediate. A large portion of the residents in the area organized themselves to save the forest. The firefighting operation involved 50 volunteers, 10 forestry officials, and 32 military personnel, and also required the use of a helicopter to extinguish the fire. A similar fate befell the neighboring village of Bezden (Безден).

Sanitary Logging or a Pretext for Clearing the Land

Several months later, the actions to remove the trees were carried out by order of the Slivnitsa Forestry Enterprise (горското стопанство в Сливница) and the Executive Forest Agency (Изпълнителната агенция по горите). The official explanation for the activities is the execution of “sanitary logging.” Footage from the site, however, shows the felling of trees that do not appear to have been affected by the fire.

Local residents dispute the necessity of such drastic measures, pointing out that a large portion of these trees are healthy and that nature has its own natural mechanism to recover after a fire. Nevertheless, workers on site claim that the trees are unfit and will not grow back, promising new planting in the spring. At present, however, the forest is being “brutally cut down.”

Concerns About the Future of the Area

The main concern of the citizens is that the logging is part of a “sinister plan” to clear land on which a photovoltaic park is to be built. People fear that the entire settlement could be surrounded by a photovoltaic power plant. This creates serious tension, as many young families with children live in Bogyoftsi (Богьовци), having chosen the village for its peaceful lifestyle and the opportunity for recreation amid the coolness of the forest, not to live in an industrial zone.

Political Context and the Search for Answers

The situation is unfolding in Kostinbrod Municipality (община Костинброд), governed by Mayor Trayko Mladenov (Трайко Младенов) of GERB (ГЕРБ), who is serving his fourth term. Although the order for the logging comes from the forestry authorities in Slivnitsa (Сливница), locals are convinced that the ultimate goal is the construction of a solar park. Citizens have initiated a procedure to uncover the true plans behind the destruction of forests in the villages of Bogyoftsi (Богьовци) and Bezden (Безден).