Turkey battles wildfires amid challenging weather conditions

Hans India

5 days ago

Turkey has been battling multiple wildfires across the country, with particularly intense blazes in the northwest prompting village evacuations and a renewed firefighting push amid strong winds and high temperatures.
The Presidential Communications Directorate said that 84 wildfires broke out simultaneously across the country on July 26.
"Efforts at all fire sites have brought the majority of the blazes under control, while cooling operations are ongoing in some areas," it added.
The fire in the northwestern province of Bursa broke out in two separate locations on Saturday and, despite initial containment efforts, flared up again on Monday, with flames continuing to rise intermittently in some areas, Xinhua news agency reported.
Firefighters and residents are struggling to bring the blaze fully under control amid challenging weather conditions. So far, about 3,000 hectares of land have been burned and a total of 3,515 residents evacuated, according to the Bursa municipality.
Bursa Mayor Mustafa Bozbey described the situation as "one of the worst disasters in recent years."
"Our lungs are burning -- not just our forests, but our hearts as well. We are monitoring the situation closely," said Bozbey.
On Sunday, one firefighter died of a heart attack while battling the blaze, and three people were killed when a water tanker delivering supplies to the fire zone veered off the road and overturned in Bursa.
Amid ongoing investigations into the cause of the fire in Bursa, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced Monday that a man was taken into custody as he was spotted in the forest with a gasoline canister in the back of his vehicle, fueling suspicions of possible arson.
Firefighting operations also continue in the northern province of Karabuk, where the fire has been burning for six days in an area of steep, rocky terrain, according to the latest reports. Over 2,000 hectares of land have been burned in the region.
Fire is also burning in Kahramanmaras, in the southeastern region, having damaged approximately 500 hectares of land.
Levent Yasa, a fire safety expert, emphasised the urgent need for stronger preventive measures and more deterrent penalties for those responsible for starting wildfires. "Even the smallest actions -- such as throwing a cigarette butt out of a car window or leaving behind broken glass -- can trigger massive disasters in hot, dry conditions," he warned during a televised appearance on the NTV news channel.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday reaffirmed the country's full-scale response, with resources from air and land.
"Turkey is waging a great struggle against forest fires in the air and on land," Erdogan said on the social media platform X, praising the dedication of responders on the front lines.
The fires came amid a record-breaking heatwave across Turkey. According to the General Directorate of Meteorology, temperatures remain 6 to 12 degrees Celsius above seasonal norms.
On Sunday, thermometers exceeded 40 degrees Celsius in 47 provinces. A country-wide temperature record was broken in Silopi district of southeastern Sirnak province on Friday, with temperatures exceeding 50 degrees.