The forest fire that broke out on Saturday in the Orhaneli district of Bursa, northwestern Türkiye, has been largely brought under control. The blaze, which started for reasons yet to be determined in a forested area near the Yakuplar neighborhood, has been successfully contained.
Firefighter teams from the Regional Directorate of Forestry and firefighting units responded to the fire both from the air, with firefighting planes and helicopters, and from the ground using fire trucks and water tankers. Efforts to fully extinguish the fire and carry out cooling operations are still ongoing.
The fire began on Saturday afternoon, and villagers contributed to the extinguishing efforts by providing water tanks and pesticide sprayers. The Orhaneli-Harmancık highway, which had been closed due to the fire, has since been reopened to traffic.
On Sunday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that Türkiye has successfully extinguished a total of 3,062 wildfires since the beginning of the summer season.
He emphasized that all relevant institutions, especially the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, are continuing their firefighting efforts without interruption.
Highlighting the scale of the response, Erdoğan stated that 27 aircraft, 105 helicopters, nearly 6,000 land vehicles, 25,000 forestry personnel, and 132,000 volunteers are currently on alert to tackle ongoing and potential fires across the country.
Ministry wildfire response
In a press conference on Sunday, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı provided a comprehensive update on Türkiye’s ongoing wildfire situation, reporting that firefighting teams have combated a total of 84 fires across the country, including 36 in forested areas and 48 in non-forest zones.
Speaking alongside Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu at the Bursa Forest Regional Directorate’s Fire Operations Center, Yumaklı detailed the progress made in containing the fires, ongoing challenges, and the efforts underway to prevent further outbreaks.
He noted that the fires in Mersin’s Silifke and Antalya’s Serik, which were largely brought under control last night and are now in the cooling phase, have been completely extinguished. Similarly, the fire in Uşak Sivaslı has been mostly contained.
Regarding the fire in Antalya Gazipaşa, which is largely under control, he said cooling efforts continue as a precaution. He emphasized that even after fires are extinguished, flare-ups can occur due to the slightest wind or extreme heat.
Yumaklı explained that cooling efforts are ongoing in all extinguished areas and can last days or even weeks, depending on the terrain and conditions.
Turning to the fire in Yakuplar village in Bursa’s Orhaneli district, he praised the intense efforts of the teams, stating: “Our teams showed incredible determination to stop the fire’s advance. Thankfully, it is now largely under control. At this point, there are no problems with the five fires across four provinces.”
He added that the fire in Karabük, Safranbolu, an area with difficult terrain including cracks, canyons, deep valleys, and steep cliffs, is still ongoing.
Yumaklı described a 1.5-hour coordination meeting regarding the fire burning between Bursa’s Gürsu and Kestel districts. He said the fire in Bursa Kestel is ongoing but improving. Some smoke columns remain visible, and teams are concentrating on several hot spots.
He expressed cautious optimism: “If extraordinary weather conditions do not occur, such as a sudden wind change, we expect to have better news by late afternoon. As of now, the situation is positive.”
Regarding the fire in Kahramanmaraş’s 12 Şubat district, he noted the rocky and difficult terrain and said teams worked through the night and will continue today.
Recalling the start of the Kestel fire at 5:40 p.m. yesterday, Yumaklı said both aerial and ground teams responded until nightfall. Aerial operations resumed at dawn. Winds are forecast to reach 40 kph (24.86 mph) in the coming hours, and teams are prepared for this.
Currently, six aircraft and four helicopters, including two heavy-class planes and two helicopters, are actively working on specific points. On the ground, 694 vehicles, ranging from fire trucks to water tankers, and 1,961 personnel are engaged in firefighting efforts.
Karabük Safranbolu fire update
Yumaklı reported that firefighting in Karabük, Safranbolu continued through the night, but fog and smoke have limited aerial operations.
He explained that aircraft are deployed when weather allows or pilots can safely approach, while ground teams continue firefighting efforts.
During the day, operations involve three planes, 16 helicopters, 389 fire trucks and 1,386 personnel.
He emphasized that firefighting vehicles differ depending on the geographical conditions, stating, “Not every vehicle can be used in every terrain. We deploy the most suitable equipment for the specific conditions.”
He also said that 928 houses across 57 neighborhoods and 1,839 residents were evacuated to safe areas by the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) in the area.
Regarding the Kahramanmaraş 12 Şubat fire, he said the fire spread to rocky and stony terrain. “Although the fire’s energy has been reduced overnight, we remain vigilant and respond as if it has just started.”
‘We are going through risky days’
Yumaklı noted that Minister Uraloğlu, who was in Bursa for a program, closely followed the firefighting efforts and expressed gratitude to all ministries, public institutions, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and citizens who contributed.
He said, “We have fought 84 fires across the country so far, 36 in forest areas and 48 outside. We are going through risky days. The situation is not expected to improve in the next two to three days. We want to stress that we will remain on high alert until October 2025, and not only us but all citizens should remain vigilant.”
He emphasized the importance of preventing new fires, especially warning against lighting fires in picnic and recreation areas outside closed zones, and urged anyone noticing suspicious fire activity to call the emergency number 112.
Yumaklı added, “High-risk areas include coastal regions, southern Marmara, northern Aegean, Western Black Sea and even the inner Aegean. We have allocated all resources and positioned teams strategically in these regions.”
Uraloğlu added: “Together with our teams, governors, Parliament members, local officials and mayors, we worked through the night under your coordination. We hope to extinguish the fires through this collective effort. We thank all institutions and citizens, including those operating two-ton tractors in the field.”
AFAD emergency operations
The AFAD announced that 5,400 personnel, 119 aerial vehicles and 1,537 land vehicles have been mobilized to respond to forest fires occurring across various parts of Türkiye.
In a statement shared on its social media account on Sunday, the AFAD reported that intense and uninterrupted firefighting and containment efforts continue by air and land in multiple locations, particularly in Karabük, Bursa, Antalya, Mersin, Ankara and Kahramanmaraş.
These operations are being carried out primarily by the General Directorate of Forestry within the framework of the Türkiye Disaster Response Plan (TAMP), in coordination with all relevant institutions and agencies.
The statement also emphasized that the AFAD is closely monitoring the situation through all its units and teams, ensuring coordination with relevant bodies under both the TAMP and the National Forest Fires Response Plan, in collaboration with the General Directorate of Forestry.
Between July 20 and 26, as a precautionary measure to mitigate risks, residents in 53 settlements across 10 provinces were relocated to safe zones. Once the fires were extinguished, these individuals returned to their homes.
In the provinces of Afyonkarahisar, Bilecik, Eskişehir, Antalya, Uşak, Sakarya and Karabük, a total of 8,269 livestock, both small and large, were also moved to safe areas.
Furthermore, damage assessments were carried out in Karabük, Sakarya, Bilecik, Antalya, Mersin, Uşak, and Kahramanmaraş, where 56 homes, four barns, nine haylofts and 10 warehouses were affected.
Bulgaria fire nears Türkiye
A forest fire that began near the town of Lesovo in southeastern Bulgaria has reached the Turkish border, prompting swift action from local firefighting teams.
In response, Türkiye’s Forestry Directorate, along with fire departments from Edirne and Lalapaşa, mobilized to the border to prevent the flames from crossing into Turkish territory.
The blaze, which erupted near the Lesovo Border Gate opposite Türkiye’s Hamzabeyli Gate, produced thick smoke carried by strong winds. The smoke reached as far as Edirne city center, causing a noticeable drop in visibility and raising public concern. In a statement, Edirne Municipality clarified that there were no fires within Turkish borders but confirmed that a fire truck had been sent to support Bulgarian efforts.
Be First to Comment