Wildfires threaten Turkey, forcing mass evacuations; Firefighter dies on duty

Istanbul: Wildfires that have raged across Turkey for weeks threatened the country’s fourth-largest city, Bursa, early Sunday, forcing over 1,500 residents to evacuate and resulting in the death of a firefighter.

Fires broke out overnight in the forested mountains surrounding Bursa in northwest Turkey, spreading quickly and casting a red glow over the city’s eastern outskirts. Since late June, dozens of severe wildfires have erupted daily across the country. On Friday, the government designated the western provinces of Izmir and Bilecik as disaster zones.

According to a statement from the Bursa governor’s office on Sunday, 1,765 people were safely evacuated from villages to the northeast of the city. More than 1,100 firefighters were deployed to combat the flames, and the highway connecting Bursa to Ankara was shut down as nearby forests burned.

Bursa’s mayor, Mustafa Bozbey, confirmed that a firefighter died from a heart attack while on duty. He also reported that the fire had scorched approximately 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) around the city. Orhan Saribal, an opposition MP representing the region, described the devastation as “an apocalypse.”

By morning, a decrease in wind speed provided some relief to firefighting teams, who continued to battle the blaze. However, television footage showed charred landscapes where farmland and pine forests once stood.

Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli reported that firefighters were responding to 76 separate blazes nationwide on Saturday. The northwest remains the most threatened, including the province of Karabuk, where wildfires have been active since Tuesday.

The fires are being fueled by unusually high temperatures, arid conditions, and strong winds. On Friday, Turkey recorded its highest-ever temperature--50.5°C (122.9°F)--in the southeastern province of Sirnak. July temperature records were also broken in 132 other locations, according to the General Directorate of Meteorology.

In recent weeks, 14 people have died, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers who perished Wednesday in a fire in western Turkey’s Eskisehir province.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc stated Saturday that prosecutors have investigated wildfires in 33 provinces since June 26, resulting in legal action against 97 individuals.

(with AP inputs)