Warehouses of Ammunition Manufacturer EMCO Catch Fire in Bulgaria

On the night of September 12, a massive fire broke out at the warehouses of EMCO, an ammunition manufacturer, in Bulgaria.

This was reported by the NOVA television channel, citing one of the company’s directors, Slavcho Dimiev.

The fire broke out at an ammunition warehouse near the village of Horishni Verpishcha, not far from Tsareva Levada. A series of explosions was heard at the scene after the fire started.

There are 11 warehouses in the area. The fire began in one of them and then spread to two neighboring ones.

The nearest settlement is located more than a kilometer from the scene. No casualties have been reported so far.

The area was cordoned off by police and firefighters, and the BG-Alert system was activated to warn the public.

Due to the risk of further explosions, firefighters assessed the extent of the damage using a drone.

This is the second fire at the warehouses of the Bulgarian company EMCO in the past month. On August 10, a similar incident occurred at an ammunition warehouse near the village of Belitsa. A similar fire in the manufacturer’s warehouse occurred in June 2023.

The Bulgarian company EMCO is one of the country’s largest private defense enterprises and specializes in the manufacture of a wide range of weapons and ammunition, both Soviet and NATO standards.

The company’s factories produce artillery shells, including 122 mm, 152 mm, and 155 mm calibers; 122 mm rocket-propelled shells for Grad-type multiple launch rocket systems; as well as tank rounds and rounds for grenade launchers.

The company also manufactures mortars and corresponding mines in 60 mm, 82 mm, and 120 mm calibers, unguided air-to-ground missiles and aerial bombs, as well as hand grenades and specialized pyrotechnic devices.

In addition to manufacturing ammunition, EMCO modernizes light artillery and anti-aircraft systems, anti-tank weapons, and performs major repairs on light armored vehicles.