Fire Crisis Continues; 5,400 Personnel on the Front Lines
Forest fires in several regions of Turkey have been raging for consecutive days, with authorities struggling to contain the flames. In Bursa, firefighter Ramazan Şaşkın (38), who had recently undergone foot surgery and was in a cast, voluntarily joined efforts to combat the fire in the Orhaneli forested area. However, he suffered a heart attack during the operation and, despite being rushed to Çekirge hospitals and later to the Training and Research Hospital, passed away. Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdülkadir Uraloğlu stated in a declaration that Şaşkın had insisted on participating in the operation despite his injury.
In Karabük, active fires have persisted for five days. The flames’ proximity to the Karabük-Safranbolu highway forced authorities to evacuate residents from 18 villages and 50 nearby neighborhoods. Strong winds of around 40 km/h have severely hampered firefighting efforts by ground and aerial teams. Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, after visiting the area, announced that judicial investigations into possible human factors behind the recent fires in 33 provinces had been initiated, with legal action taken against 97 individuals so far.
Meanwhile, in other parts of Bursa, new flames along the border between Gürsu and Kestel led to the preventive evacuation of residents from three neighborhoods—Karahidir, Avdançık, and İğdir. Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı, assessing the situation, expressed hope that conditions in Kestel would significantly improve by this afternoon if adverse winds do not pick up. He also urged citizens to avoid lighting fires outdoors or even picnicking in open areas due to sensitive weather conditions and dry vegetation.
On the western border, a massive fire has been reported in forests near Lesovo, Bulgaria, with thick smoke spreading up to 50 km, reaching Edirne in Turkey and reducing visibility, causing concern among residents. Turkish border forces and Edirne municipal firefighting teams are on full alert along the border to prevent the possible spread of flames into Turkish territory.
According to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), over 5,400 rescue personnel, supported by 119 firefighting aircraft and 1,537 ground vehicles, are currently operating in affected areas. So far, 480 households (1,765 people) in Bursa and 1,739 people in Karabük have been relocated to safe zones. AFAD also reported that, in addition to human evacuations, 8,269 livestock have been successfully moved from at-risk areas to safety. Meteorological officials have warned that high temperatures and strong winds are expected to persist in the coming days.
