A devastating forest fire that broke out on Wednesday in Seyitgazi, a rural district of Eskişehir in central Türkiye, claimed the lives of 10 individuals, including five forest workers and five members of the Search and Rescue Association (AKUT) team, who were bravely working to contain the rapidly advancing flames as they spread toward neighboring Afyonkarahisar.
The fire, fueled by record-breaking temperatures, strong winds and critically low humidity, turned deadly when a sudden wind shift engulfed a response team deep within the forest.
Nineteen forestry workers and five AKUT members had been working to contain the flames when conditions suddenly changed. While 14 managed to escape with non-life-threatening injuries and are currently receiving treatment, 10 did not survive.
The workers, honored as “heroes of the forest” by Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı, were part of Türkiye’s General Directorate of Forestry (OGM) crew tasked with creating firebreaks to halt the fire’s progress.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı announced the fatalities during a press conference on Wednesday evening at the Ankara Fire Management Center.
“This is no longer just a forest fire. These conditions have turned it into a battlefield,” said Yumaklı. “Ten of our brave compatriots, like 10 saplings, have been taken from us. There is nothing more painful to say. May our nation’s heart find strength.”
Yumaklı emphasized that today alone, nine major wildfires erupted across Türkiye, bringing the number of actively burning large fires to 11. Despite the mobilization of all available resources, including firefighting aircraft, ground crews and support teams, the country remains in a race against time as flames outpace containment in several regions. Fires remain active in Sakarya, Karabük, Manisa, Eskişehir and Bilecik.
“Starting tomorrow, we are bracing for another wave of extreme temperatures, stronger winds and dangerously fluctuating weather,” the minister warned. “We urge every citizen to remain alert and avoid any activity that could spark new fires.”
Yumaklı reiterated the government’s repeated warnings that current climate conditions are turning each fire into an uncontrollable force. He emphasized that these are not ordinary wildfires, but the product of an increasingly volatile environment.
“High heat, fierce winds and low humidity, this combination transforms even a spark into catastrophe,” he said. “These fires are taking not only our trees, but our sons, our brothers, our heroes.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, along with other politicians, issued condolence messages for the 10 individuals who lost their lives while battling the forest fire.
In a statement posted on his social media account, Erdoğan said: “I have learned with great sorrow that five forest workers and five AKUT volunteers were martyred while intervening in the forest fire in Eskişehir. I pray for Allah’s mercy on our brothers who fought to protect our forests at the cost of their lives and offer my condolences to their families and our nation.”
Investigations started
Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç announced that investigations have been launched by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Offices of Eskişehir and Afyonkarahisar regarding the case.
In a statement posted on his social media account on Wednesday evening, Tunç expressed his deep sorrow over the deaths of five forest workers and five search and rescue personnel who were martyred while responding to the forest fire that started in Seyitgazi district of Eskişehir and spread to Ihsaniye district of Afyonkarahisar.
Tunç added: “An immediate investigation has been initiated by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Offices of Eskişehir and Afyonkarahisar concerning this tragic fire incident that has brought us great pain, and public prosecutors have been assigned. The transfers of our martyrs to Afyonkarahisar State Hospital are underway, and efforts to verify their identities continue. The investigation is being conducted thoroughly and from multiple angles.”
Newlywed forestry hero
Among the fallen was 28-year-old forestry worker Tolunay Kocaman, who had only recently begun his duty with the Kırka Forestry Directorate. His death has shaken not only his family, but also his hometown in Kümbet, a neighborhood in Seyitgazi.
Just a month into his new job, Kocaman had recently married. He and his wife, Burcu, returned from their honeymoon three days ago. Now, the Turkish flag flies at half-mast over his childhood home, and the local mosque has read prayers in his memory.
His childhood friend Arif Taş, a firefighter with the Eti Maden enterprise, recalled their final moments together with both warmth and heartbreak. “He arrived smiling, jumped out of the vehicle and said, ‘Make way, Tolunay is here!’ We hugged and exchanged a few words.
“I handed him water and some food, not knowing it would be the last time I’d see him,” Taş said.
“He was fearless. Always the one to say, ‘I can handle it.’” Kocaman had responded to the forest fire in Bilecik just days earlier, but returned to Seyitgazi when the fire erupted closer to home. He was killed while trying to protect the very land he had just sworn to serve.
The fire claimed the lives of Sercan Utmi, Hilmi Şahin, Eyip Dereli, Tolunay Kocaman, Enes Kızılyel, Muharrem Can, Ilker Onarıcı, Tekin Enes Sarıyıldız, Bayram Eren Arslan and Alperen Özcan – brave souls who stood fearless against the raging flames and paid the ultimate price in defense of their homeland.
The bodies of the forest martyrs were taken to the Ankara Forensic Medicine Institute for identification and DNA analysis. Their relatives and friends waited in tears outside the institute while seeking information from the authorities. Following the completion of examinations and tests, the bodies have been delivered to their families.
Anniversary meets fire
Sercan Ütni and Hilmi Şahin, the two forestry workers from Denizli who didn’t survive the flames, began working on the same day three years ago.
Turkish flags were hung at the homes of 26-year-old Ütni and 23-year-old Şahin in the Geriçam and Sazak neighborhoods, respectively, as well as at the Eskere Forest Management Directorate in Denizli’s Beyağaç district, where they were employed. Both men were killed while intervening in a wildfire that had reached Sarıcaova village in the Ihsaniye district of Afyonkarahisar.
Their coworkers in Beyağaç were devastated by the news of their deaths. Turkish flags were also draped over the beds of Ütni and Şahin at the building where they had been stationed.
Muhammet Ilke, an employee at the Eskere Forest Management Directorate, said that they had received the heartbreaking news through a phone call. “We are deeply saddened. It hurts. Our hearts break. Our friends were truly good people,” he said.
Forestry worker Ramazan Kazan emphasized the sacred nature of their work and noted that they often spent more time with coworkers than with their families. “We will keep their memories alive,” Kazan said.
“When the news first came, their families were here too. We couldn’t say anything to them. We couldn’t even look them in the eye. We were together in good times and bad. The pain is enormous. Despite our grief, we continue to stand watch 24/7 to protect our green homeland. From the outside, it may look like an easy job, but it carries significant risk. May God have mercy on our friends. May their resting places be in heaven,” he added.
Hilmi Şahin’s friend, Veli Yılmaz, who shared the same room with him during their shifts, said he was in deep sorrow: “Hilmi and I stayed together; he has been my friend since kindergarten. We grew up together. Our pain and grief are immense. We used to go to fire zones with joy in our hearts. They left joyfully, but the news we received was heartbreaking. Despite everything, we will continue to stand watch for our green homeland.”
Flames spread rapidly
A forest fire that started in the Hacılar neighborhood of the Geyve district in Sakarya and spread to Bilecik is still being fought after it grew again due to strong winds following significant control on Wednesday morning.
The fire, which began on July 20 in the forested area of Geyve, crossed into the Osmaneli district of Bilecik the next day. Efforts to fully contain the fire continue without interruption. Local residents are supporting the firefighting efforts by attaching water tanks to their tractors.
Due to flames reigniting under the effect of strong winds, the Sakarya-Bilecik highway between Mekece and Vezirhan, which had been reopened earlier this morning, was temporarily closed again to traffic because of the forest fire. Drivers are being directed to alternative routes.
Several villages in Bilecik, including Kızılöz, Büyükyenice, Kazancı, Borcak, Medetli, Ciciler and Selçik, were evacuated due to the widespread impact of the fire.
The smoke from a wildfire has spread to Bursa. The dense smoke from the fire has covered the center of Bursa city.
Carried by the wind, the smoke settled over the city like a layer of fog. The heavy smell of soot was noticeable throughout the city, and rooftops and vehicles were covered in a layer of ash.
In a statement on its social media account, Bursa Metropolitan Municipality reported that due to the ongoing forest fire in Bilecik and the effect of the wind, “ash rain” was observed in the city.
The statement advised residents to keep windows and doors closed as much as possible and urged citizens not to keep flammable materials on balconies, windows, or outdoor areas.
Firefighting efforts continue for forest fires burning in three different locations in Karabük, northern Türkiye.
Fires broke out near Burunsuz village on the Karabük-Ankara highway around 4:30 p.m. on July 22, in the cemetery area of Çavuşlar village in the Safranbolu district at 2:30 p.m. on July 23, and in the marketplace area of Merkez Neighborhood in Kışla village of Ovacık district around 4:30 p.m. on July 23.
Following the alerts, firefighting helicopters, numerous fire trucks and forestry department vehicles were dispatched to the affected areas.
Due to the fires, 10 villages in the central district, Safranbolu, and Ovacık, were evacuated as a precaution. Some of the evacuated villages suffered damage as the flames spread. Firefighting efforts supported by helicopters during the day continued on the ground throughout the night in the affected areas.
Türkiye is recognized worldwide as a leader in fire preparedness and response. It has successfully reduced its average fire intervention time to 15 minutes, with ambitious plans to shorten it to 12 minutes further. Firefighting operations engage nearly 25,000 personnel, supported by approximately 100 helicopters and 30 airplanes.
This expertise is backed by 12 forestry faculties, a network of 22,000 registered forest engineers and a strong institutional framework.
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