Ankara [Turkey], July 27 (ANI): Wildfires that have ravaged Turkey for weeks reached the outskirts of Bursa, the country’s fourth-largest city, forcing more than 1,700 people to flee their homes and claiming the life of a firefighter, Al Jazeera reported.
Fires in the forested mountains surrounding Bursa in northwest Turkey intensified overnight on Sunday, casting a red glow over the city. Since late June, dozens of severe wildfires have swept across the country, prompting the government to declare the western provinces of Izmir and Bilecik as disaster zones on Friday.
According to the Bursa governor’s office, 1,765 residents were safely evacuated from villages in the northeast as over 1,900 firefighters battled the blazes. Authorities deployed an additional 500 rescue workers to the affected areas. The highway connecting Bursa to the capital, Ankara, was closed due to the advancing flames.
One firefighter died of a heart attack while on duty, Bursa Mayor Mustafa Bozbey confirmed. The wildfires have scorched approximately 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) around the city, he added.
Describing the devastation, Orhan Saribal, an opposition parliamentarian from the province, called the scene “an apocalypse,” according to Al Jazeera.
Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli stated that crews across the country were fighting 84 separate fires. The northwest region, including Karabuk, remained under the greatest threat, with fires there burning since Tuesday.
Unusually high temperatures, strong winds, and dry conditions have fueled the fires. Yumakli said 2,000 firefighters were battling the flames with the support of six firefighting planes and four helicopters.
“We are going through risky times. This does not seem likely to end in two or three days,” Yumakli warned, referring to the ongoing heatwave.
According to the General Directorate of Meteorology, Turkey recorded its highest-ever temperature of 50.5 degrees Celsius (122.9°F) on Friday in the southeastern province of Sirnak. July temperature records were also broken in 132 other locations. The previous national record of 49.5°C (121.1°F) was set on August 15, 2023, in Saricakaya, Eskisehir, Anadolu Agency reported.
At least 14 people have died in recent weeks due to the fires, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers killed Wednesday in a blaze in western Eskisehir.
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said on Saturday that prosecutors had investigated fires in 33 provinces since June 26, and legal action had been taken against 97 suspects, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)
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