Forest fires in Türkiye brought under control, minister says

By Halil Fidan, Firat Ozdemir and Gokhan Duzyol

IZMIR, Türkiye (AA) - Türkiye's Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli on Sunday said several ongoing forest fires in the country, including those in Izmir's Yamanlar and Urla districts, have been brought under control.

At a press briefing in Izmir’s Karsiyaka district, Yumakli said efforts were ongoing against eight active fires over the past day.

“As we announced earlier, the fire in Izmir Yamanlar, which posed a risk to the city, has been successfully contained. Our teams managed to confine the burning areas to a valley on the upper part of the region. I am pleased to inform you that the fire in Izmir Yamanlar is now under control. Cooling operations will continue,” he said.

The situation in Bolu's Goynuk, another area severely affected by forest fires, was also highlighted by the minister. He described the challenging terrain, characterized by steep cliffs and rugged landscapes, which made the firefighting efforts particularly arduous.

Despite these difficulties, the firefighting teams have made significant progress.

Yumakli said there are five ongoing fires that are close to being contained, and efforts to extinguish them are continuing with full force.

One of the most concerning fires is located in the Menderes district of Izmir. Yumakli explained that the fire is raging in a difficult-to-access area with no roads, which has complicated the dousing efforts.

“Throughout the night, our teams fought the fire from the ground. Currently, four planes and 11 helicopters are assisting our ground teams. The fire’s intensity has decreased significantly, and it is now one of the fires closest to being fully contained,” he said.

The minister also spoke about the fire in the Bozdogan district of Aydin province, which has been burning for three days. The battle against this fire involves five planes, 11 helicopters, and a large number of ground personnel.

Yumakli praised the dedication and bravery of the firefighting teams, highlighting the tough conditions they face. “There were strong winds in Bozdogan, so powerful that they could almost uproot a flagpole. Despite this, our teams have managed to bring the situation to a stable point. Their efforts are truly commendable,” he said.

He continued by discussing the fires in Manisa’s Gordes district, which have also been challenging due to the long, wide area they have spread across, exacerbated by strong winds. “In Gordes, we have one plane and 10 helicopters, along with a significant ground force, actively fighting the fire,” Yumakli added.

The minister also touched on the fires in Karabuk’s Ovacik and Usak’s Esme districts, where the intensity of the flames has been significantly reduced. These fires are also nearing containment, Yumakli said, expressing optimism that final updates would be available by the end of the day.