A large fire destroyed a restaurant in the New Town of Sozopol early Friday morning, forcing the evacuation of around 20 to 25 people from nearby hotels and holiday properties as flames and heavy smoke spread to neighboring buildings.
The fire was reported at around 5:04 a.m. at the Apollon restaurant on Cherno More Street, near the central beach. According to initial information from the Burgas Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior, the fire was caused by a malfunctioning refrigerator.
The restaurant was completely destroyed. Firefighters said the blaze began in the kitchen before spreading outside, engulfing a wooden structure and then moving up the building's facade toward the upper floors. Some hotel rooms in the surrounding area were also damaged.
The intense smoke and spreading flames prompted authorities to evacuate vacationers from nearby hotels and holiday resorts. Between 20 and 25 people were taken to a safe location, according to Inspector Ivan Kirov of the Burgas Fire Department's operations center.
The wooden facade of a nearby Bulgarian Red Cross base was also completely burned in the fire. Three fire engines were dispatched to the scene, and firefighters worked to extinguish the flames and prevent the blaze from spreading further.
