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Glasgow Times
28-07-2025
- Climate
- Glasgow Times
Turkey faces ‘very risky week' for wildfires
Nearly 100 people face prosecution over the fires in Turkey. Blazes erupted near Bursa, Turkey's fourth-largest city, over the weekend. Charred trees and scorched land following a wildfire that swept through the area in Bursa, Turkey (Sercan Ozkurnazli/DIA Images via AP) A wildfire to the north east of Bursa had been largely extinguished, but one to the south of the city continued, although its intensity had been 'significantly reduced', forestry minister Ibrahim Yumakli told reporters in Ankara. He also said a fire that has been burning for six days in Karabuk, in north-west Turkey, had 'been reduced in intensity', and a blaze in Karamanmaras in the south had largely been brought under control. A wildfire also erupted on Monday in forests outside the western port city of Izmir, where 11 aircraft were helping ground-based fire units and residents battle the blaze. 'We are in a very risky week,' Mr Yumakli said of the wildfires. In Greece, firefighters raced to tackle a wildfire that broke out on Monday near a university campus close to the centre of Athens. Water-dropping planes and helicopters buzzed over the city centre as they headed to the wildfire near the National Technical University of Athens, located in foothills ringing the Greek capital. A firefighting helicopter drops water to extinguish a fire at the Polytechnic University of Athens as the Greek capital is seen in the background (Thanassis Stavrakis/AP) In all, 11 planes and eight helicopters were reinforcing 110 firefighters on the ground, the fire department said. Police announced road closures in the area, including to the only highway that circles the city. A waning fire on the island of Kythera, which lies south of the Peloponnese, was reinvigorated by strong winds. Over the weekend, the blaze burned through around 10% of the small island's land mass, triggering the evacuation of several villages. A Turkish firefighting team of 22 personnel and five vehicles crossed the northern border on Monday to assist Bulgarian crews fighting a large fire near the village of Lesovo, which was evacuated. The blaze was one of hundreds across Bulgaria, the most severe of which was near the south-western village of Strumyani. The Interior Ministry described the fire as 'extremely large' and 'widespread', leading to 200 firefighters being withdrawn because of the effects of high winds on the fire. Several villages have been extensively damaged, with dozens of homes burned to the ground. Firefighters work to extinguish a wildfire in Bursa, Turkey (Sercan Ozkurnazli/DIA Images via AP) By Monday, 269 fires had been extinguished in the previous 24 hours, the government said. Other European Union countries have responded to Bulgaria's requests for help, sending firefighting helicopters and planes. In several instances, the causes of fires have been determined to be carelessness by people, such as open fires and discarded cigarettes. Senior Interior Ministry official Miroslav Rashkov said that two people had been arrested for deliberately starting fires and would be prosecuted. Turkey has been fighting severe wildfires since late June. In Bursa, three volunteer firefighters were killed after their water tanker overturned, local news agency IHA reported. One died at the scene and the two others were pulled from the tanker and taken to hospital but died late on Sunday. The volunteer crew from the province of Bolu was on its way to the village of Aglasan, north east of Bursa, to combat a blaze when the vehicle fell into a ditch beside a rough forest track, the agency reported. Firefighters in Bursa, Turkey (Sercan Ozkurnazli/DIA Images via AP) Separately, officials said earlier on Sunday a firefighter died of a heart attack while battling a blaze. The fatalities brought the total deaths over the past month to 17, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers killed on Wednesday in a fire in the western city of Eskisehir. The huge blazes around Bursa forced more than 3,500 people to flee their homes. While firefighting teams have contained the damage to a limited number of homes across affected areas in Turkey, vast tracts of forest have been turned to ash. Unseasonably high temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds have been fuelling the wildfires. Turkey and other parts of the eastern Mediterranean are experiencing record-breaking heat waves. The government had earlier declared disaster areas in two western provinces, Izmir and Bilecik. Firefighters work to extinguish a wildfire in Bursa (Sercan Ozkurnazli/DIA Images via AP) Turkey battled at least 44 separate fires on Sunday, Mr Yumakli said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that 99 suspects faced prosecution in relation to the wildfires. In Albania, firefighters battled at least six separate wildfires on Monday, the Defence Ministry said. Two weeks of blazes have ravaged thousands of hectares of forest in the Balkan country. The areas most at risk were in the north east, where inaccessible mountain plateaus had water-dropping aircraft carrying out the bulk of the firefighting. In the country's southern region, overnight winds ignited blazes in the municipalities of Delvine and Konispol and in the Himare district on the Adriatic coast, which suffered wildfires last week. Authorities said that at least a dozen people were arrested over the weekend over the wildfires.
Irish Examiner
28-07-2025
- Climate
- Irish Examiner
Turkey faces ‘very risky week' for wildfires
Turkey faces a 'very risky week' for wildfires, an official said, as blazes across parts of south-east Europe and the Balkans damaged homes and led to a huge firefighting operation that included evacuations. Nearly 100 people face prosecution over the fires in Turkey. Blazes erupted near Bursa, Turkey's fourth-largest city, over the weekend. Charred trees and scorched land following a wildfire that swept through the area in Bursa, Turkey (Sercan Ozkurnazli/DIA Images via AP) A wildfire to the north east of Bursa had been largely extinguished, but one to the south of the city continued, although its intensity had been 'significantly reduced', forestry minister Ibrahim Yumakli told reporters in Ankara. He also said a fire that has been burning for six days in Karabuk, in north-west Turkey, had 'been reduced in intensity', and a blaze in Karamanmaras in the south had largely been brought under control. A wildfire also erupted on Monday in forests outside the western port city of Izmir, where 11 aircraft were helping ground-based fire units and residents battle the blaze. 'We are in a very risky week,' Mr Yumakli said of the wildfires. In Greece, firefighters raced to tackle a wildfire that broke out on Monday near a university campus close to the centre of Athens. Water-dropping planes and helicopters buzzed over the city centre as they headed to the wildfire near the National Technical University of Athens, located in foothills ringing the Greek capital. A firefighting helicopter drops water to extinguish a fire at the Polytechnic University of Athens as the Greek capital is seen in the background (Thanassis Stavrakis/AP) In all, 11 planes and eight helicopters were reinforcing 110 firefighters on the ground, the fire department said. Police announced road closures in the area, including to the only highway that circles the city. A waning fire on the island of Kythera, which lies south of the Peloponnese, was reinvigorated by strong winds. Over the weekend, the blaze burned through around 10% of the small island's land mass, triggering the evacuation of several villages. A Turkish firefighting team of 22 personnel and five vehicles crossed the northern border on Monday to assist Bulgarian crews fighting a large fire near the village of Lesovo, which was evacuated. The blaze was one of hundreds across Bulgaria, the most severe of which was near the south-western village of Strumyani. The Interior Ministry described the fire as 'extremely large' and 'widespread', leading to 200 firefighters being withdrawn because of the effects of high winds on the fire. Several villages have been extensively damaged, with dozens of homes burned to the ground. Firefighters work to extinguish a wildfire in Bursa, Turkey (Sercan Ozkurnazli/DIA Images via AP) By Monday, 269 fires had been extinguished in the previous 24 hours, the government said. Other European Union countries have responded to Bulgaria's requests for help, sending firefighting helicopters and planes. In several instances, the causes of fires have been determined to be carelessness by people, such as open fires and discarded cigarettes. Senior Interior Ministry official Miroslav Rashkov said that two people had been arrested for deliberately starting fires and would be prosecuted. Turkey has been fighting severe wildfires since late June. In Bursa, three volunteer firefighters were killed after their water tanker overturned, local news agency IHA reported. One died at the scene and the two others were pulled from the tanker and taken to hospital but died late on Sunday. The volunteer crew from the province of Bolu was on its way to the village of Aglasan, north east of Bursa, to combat a blaze when the vehicle fell into a ditch beside a rough forest track, the agency reported. Firefighters in Bursa, Turkey (Sercan Ozkurnazli/DIA Images via AP) Separately, officials said earlier on Sunday a firefighter died of a heart attack while battling a blaze. The fatalities brought the total deaths over the past month to 17, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers killed on Wednesday in a fire in the western city of Eskisehir. The huge blazes around Bursa forced more than 3,500 people to flee their homes. While firefighting teams have contained the damage to a limited number of homes across affected areas in Turkey, vast tracts of forest have been turned to ash. Unseasonably high temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds have been fuelling the wildfires. Turkey and other parts of the eastern Mediterranean are experiencing record-breaking heat waves. The government had earlier declared disaster areas in two western provinces, Izmir and Bilecik. Firefighters work to extinguish a wildfire in Bursa (Sercan Ozkurnazli/DIA Images via AP) Turkey battled at least 44 separate fires on Sunday, Mr Yumakli said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that 99 suspects faced prosecution in relation to the wildfires. In Albania, firefighters battled at least six separate wildfires on Monday, the Defence Ministry said. Two weeks of blazes have ravaged thousands of hectares of forest in the Balkan country. The areas most at risk were in the north east, where inaccessible mountain plateaus had water-dropping aircraft carrying out the bulk of the firefighting. In the country's southern region, overnight winds ignited blazes in the municipalities of Delvine and Konispol and in the Himare district on the Adriatic coast, which suffered wildfires last week. Authorities said that at least a dozen people were arrested over the weekend over the wildfires.
Western Telegraph
28-07-2025
- Climate
- Western Telegraph
Turkey faces ‘very risky week' for wildfires
Nearly 100 people face prosecution over the fires in Turkey. Blazes erupted near Bursa, Turkey's fourth-largest city, over the weekend. Charred trees and scorched land following a wildfire that swept through the area in Bursa, Turkey (Sercan Ozkurnazli/DIA Images via AP) A wildfire to the north east of Bursa had been largely extinguished, but one to the south of the city continued, although its intensity had been 'significantly reduced', forestry minister Ibrahim Yumakli told reporters in Ankara. He also said a fire that has been burning for six days in Karabuk, in north-west Turkey, had 'been reduced in intensity', and a blaze in Karamanmaras in the south had largely been brought under control. A wildfire also erupted on Monday in forests outside the western port city of Izmir, where 11 aircraft were helping ground-based fire units and residents battle the blaze. 'We are in a very risky week,' Mr Yumakli said of the wildfires. In Greece, firefighters raced to tackle a wildfire that broke out on Monday near a university campus close to the centre of Athens. Water-dropping planes and helicopters buzzed over the city centre as they headed to the wildfire near the National Technical University of Athens, located in foothills ringing the Greek capital. A firefighting helicopter drops water to extinguish a fire at the Polytechnic University of Athens as the Greek capital is seen in the background (Thanassis Stavrakis/AP) In all, 11 planes and eight helicopters were reinforcing 110 firefighters on the ground, the fire department said. Police announced road closures in the area, including to the only highway that circles the city. A waning fire on the island of Kythera, which lies south of the Peloponnese, was reinvigorated by strong winds. Over the weekend, the blaze burned through around 10% of the small island's land mass, triggering the evacuation of several villages. A Turkish firefighting team of 22 personnel and five vehicles crossed the northern border on Monday to assist Bulgarian crews fighting a large fire near the village of Lesovo, which was evacuated. The blaze was one of hundreds across Bulgaria, the most severe of which was near the south-western village of Strumyani. The Interior Ministry described the fire as 'extremely large' and 'widespread', leading to 200 firefighters being withdrawn because of the effects of high winds on the fire. Several villages have been extensively damaged, with dozens of homes burned to the ground. Firefighters work to extinguish a wildfire in Bursa, Turkey (Sercan Ozkurnazli/DIA Images via AP) By Monday, 269 fires had been extinguished in the previous 24 hours, the government said. Other European Union countries have responded to Bulgaria's requests for help, sending firefighting helicopters and planes. In several instances, the causes of fires have been determined to be carelessness by people, such as open fires and discarded cigarettes. Senior Interior Ministry official Miroslav Rashkov said that two people had been arrested for deliberately starting fires and would be prosecuted. Turkey has been fighting severe wildfires since late June. In Bursa, three volunteer firefighters were killed after their water tanker overturned, local news agency IHA reported. One died at the scene and the two others were pulled from the tanker and taken to hospital but died late on Sunday. The volunteer crew from the province of Bolu was on its way to the village of Aglasan, north east of Bursa, to combat a blaze when the vehicle fell into a ditch beside a rough forest track, the agency reported. Firefighters in Bursa, Turkey (Sercan Ozkurnazli/DIA Images via AP) Separately, officials said earlier on Sunday a firefighter died of a heart attack while battling a blaze. The fatalities brought the total deaths over the past month to 17, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers killed on Wednesday in a fire in the western city of Eskisehir. The huge blazes around Bursa forced more than 3,500 people to flee their homes. While firefighting teams have contained the damage to a limited number of homes across affected areas in Turkey, vast tracts of forest have been turned to ash. Unseasonably high temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds have been fuelling the wildfires. Turkey and other parts of the eastern Mediterranean are experiencing record-breaking heat waves. The government had earlier declared disaster areas in two western provinces, Izmir and Bilecik. Firefighters work to extinguish a wildfire in Bursa (Sercan Ozkurnazli/DIA Images via AP) Turkey battled at least 44 separate fires on Sunday, Mr Yumakli said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that 99 suspects faced prosecution in relation to the wildfires. In Albania, firefighters battled at least six separate wildfires on Monday, the Defence Ministry said. Two weeks of blazes have ravaged thousands of hectares of forest in the Balkan country. The areas most at risk were in the north east, where inaccessible mountain plateaus had water-dropping aircraft carrying out the bulk of the firefighting. In the country's southern region, overnight winds ignited blazes in the municipalities of Delvine and Konispol and in the Himare district on the Adriatic coast, which suffered wildfires last week. Authorities said that at least a dozen people were arrested over the weekend over the wildfires.
Toronto Sun
27-07-2025
- Climate
- Toronto Sun
Wildfires threaten Turkey's fourth-largest city as southern Europe grapples with blazes
Published Jul 27, 2025 • 3 minute read Firefighters work to extinguish a wildfire in Bursa, Turkey, Sunday, July 27, 2025. Photo by Sercan Ozkurnazli / DIA Images via AP ISTANBUL — Wildfires that have engulfed Turkey for weeks threatened the country's fourth-largest city on Sunday, forcing more than 1,700 people to flee their homes and leaving a firefighter dead. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Greece, Bulgaria and Montenegro are also battling blazes fed by unusually high temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds. Overnight fires in the forested mountains surrounding Bursa, in northwest Turkey, spread rapidly, tinting the night sky over the city's eastern suburbs with a red glow. Dozens of severe wildfires have hit the country daily since late June, with the government declaring the two western provinces of Izmir and Bilecik as disaster areas on Friday. Bursa governor's office said in a statement Sunday that 1,765 people had been safely evacuated from villages to the northeast as more than 1,900 firefighters battled the flames. The highway linking Bursa to the capital, Ankara, was closed as surrounding forests burned. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A firefighter died from a heart attack while on the job, the city's mayor, Mustafa Bozbey, said in a statement, adding that the flames had scorched 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) around the city. Orhan Saribal, an opposition parliamentarian for the province, described the scene as 'an apocalypse.' By morning, lessening winds brought some respite to firefighters, who continued efforts to battle the flames. However, TV footage revealed an ashen landscape where farms and pine forests had earlier stood. Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said fire crews across the country confronted 84 separate blazes Saturday. The country's northwest was under the greatest threat, including Karabuk, where wildfires have burned since Tuesday and 1,839 people have been evacuated from 19 villages. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The minister warned that growing winds could suddenly reignite fires not properly watered down after being extinguished. Beleagured firefighters and rescue workers saved thousands of livestock and pets that had been left behind in the rush to evacuate threatened areas. Local media also showed images of workers assisting wildlife caught among the fires. Unseasonably high temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds have been fueling the wildfires. The General Directorate of Meteorology said Turkey recorded its highest ever temperature of 50.5 degrees Celsius (122.9 degrees Fahrenheit) in the southeastern Sirnak province on Friday. The highest temperatures for July were seen in 132 other locations, it said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Fourteen people have died in recent weeks, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers killed Wednesday in a fire in Eskisehir in western Turkey. Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said late Saturday that prosecutors had investigated fires in 33 provinces since June 26, and that legal action had been taken against 97 suspects. Overnight evacuations In Greece, firefighters battled active wildfires in the country's southwest and on the island of Kythera on Sunday, following a blaze that scorched the northern Athens suburb of Kryoneri on Saturday. High temperatures, reaching 38 C (100 F) or more, persist across much of the country, though winds have eased slightly. In Kryoneri, 27 residents were evacuated overnight with police assistance after some initially ignored warnings. Authorities urged the public to comply with evacuation orders, warning that resistance puts both civilians and rescuers in danger. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The fire service reported three people hospitalized with breathing issues and one firefighter treated for burns at a military hospital. On the island of Evia, where another fire is now under control, media reports indicate large numbers of animals perished in barns. Fanned by strong winds On Bulgaria's southern borders with Greece and Turkey, as well as the western Serbian frontier, firefighters battled wildfires as the government declared the worst-hit provinces disaster zones. Residents across nearly half the country were issued with a code red warning, the highest level. National Fire Service chief Alexander Djartov told reporters that 236 wildfires were burning, many fanned by strong winds. The government had asked EU partners for help, he added, and aircraft were expected from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, France, Hungary and Sweden later Sunday. In the southwestern Strumyani region, overnight blazes forced firefighters to retreat. They were reinforced Sunday by soldiers. Dozens of people fled their homes in the western Tran region as flames threatened villages near the Serbian border. — Associated Press writers Veselin Toshkov in Sofia, Bulgaria, and Demetris Nellas in Athens contributed to this report. Sports Columnists Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Toronto & GTA
