Mass evacuations took place this weekend as wildfires in Turkey threatened the outskirts of Bursa- the country’s fourth-largest, and a major industrial city in the northwest.
More than 3,500 residents were forced to evacuate urgently from areas around Bursa on Saturday and Sunday, as two separate wildfires burned uncontrollably for over 24 hours. “A total of 3,515 citizens were evacuated to safe areas,” said İbrahim Yumaklı, Turkey’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry. Over 2,300 firefighters and rescuers battled the flames in challenging conditions, amid strong gusty winds.
A fleet of more than 850 vehicles, six aircraft, and four helicopters was deployed. However, high temperatures- expected to remain near 40°C in the coming days- continue to fuel the risk. The minister did not specify how much forest and vegetation had been lost.
Tragically, one firefighter died of a heart attack on Saturday night. In a separate incident, three people were killed when a water tanker involved in firefighting operations crashed.
Earlier last week, ten forestry workers and volunteer rescuers were killed after becoming trapped in another blaze roughly 150km east of Bursa.
In Karabük province in the north- the region with the densest forest coverage in Turkey- a separate wildfire entered its fifth day on Sunday. Over 1,800 residents there were also evacuated.
According to Turkish media, the fires in Karabük have spread across dozens of kilometres. Rough terrain has further hampered firefighting efforts in a province where 72% of the surface area is forested.
Faced with scorching heat and drought across much of the country, Turkish authorities have called once again for vigilance, warning that the threat of forest fires will remain high until at least October.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan noted that over 3,000 wildfires have occurred across Turkey since the beginning of summer. “When a forest burns, it is as if someone is taking up arms against our homeland,” said Minister Yumaklı, who promised rapid reforestation efforts in affected areas.
Also read: Izmir wildfire spreads, as winds hit 117km/h
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