Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı announced that the forest fire in the Urla district of Izmir has been brought under control, while the fires in Sakarya-Bilecik, the Marmara region of Türkiye and Eskişehir have largely been contained.
Referring to his previous statement last night, Yumaklı recalled that he had mentioned four ongoing fires across the country.
Providing updates on these fires, he said: “One of them was the fire in Urla, Izmir. Thanks to the interventions carried out throughout the night, this fire has been brought under control.”
Regarding the forest fire that started in Geyve, Sakarya, and continued along the Bilecik-Osmaneli borders, Yumaklı noted: “Interventions continued throughout the night, and our aerial units joined the efforts this morning. The fire is now largely contained, thankfully. From noon onward, we expect rising temperatures and strong winds, so our risk perception remains high.”
“Our teams will continue their shifts, and cooling operations are ongoing. I previously mentioned that traffic was restored on the D-650 highway toward Osmaneli, and it is now open with no traffic issues,” he added.
Speaking about the fire in Çukurca, Karabük, the minister added: “This fire is also mostly under control, and cooling works are ongoing. Another fire occurred in Seyitgazi, Eskişehir. Our teams fought intensively throughout the night. The fire remains in a small, steep rocky area that poses no risk. We can say it is ‘largely under control.’ Cooling operations will continue for several days. There may be some smoke from the burned areas occasionally, but this does not pose any risk to us.”
Yumaklı pointed out that the total number of fires since the beginning of the year has exceeded 4,000, with 1,728 occurring in forested areas.
He continued: “We are talking about global climate change. Looking at the drought maps for the first six months and those published by the General Directorate of Meteorology for the upcoming period, I want to emphasize once again that the risk of fires across the entire country is extremely high during this period.”
“Therefore, we urge all our citizens not to light any fires outdoors for any reason and to ensure that their activities do not cause any fires. We thank all the citizens who support us and show sensitivity on this matter. Last night, we witnessed the tireless efforts of our teams fighting the fires. Although they are not visible from here, these brothers and sisters of ours are fighting selflessly to protect every tree and stone of this homeland.”
Concluding, Yumaklı expressed gratitude to everyone who contributed to controlling the fires and said: “We remain on high alert until Oct. 15, 2025. We expect all citizens to understand our situation sensitively, show patience and assist us.”
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