Wildfires threaten northwestern city as evacuations escalate

BURSA

Wildfires that have ravaged Türkiye for weeks threatened the outskirts of the northwestern city of Bursa on July 27, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of residents as blazes continued to sweep across several provinces across the country.

Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı told reporters late July 27 that 3,515 people had been safely evacuated from villages to the northeast of Bursa as more than 1,900 firefighters battled the flames.

The highway linking Bursa to the capital, Ankara, was closed as surrounding forests burned.

A firefighter died from a heart attack while on the job, the city's mayor, Mustafa Bozbey, said, adding that the flames had scorched 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) around the city. Three people were killed when a water tanker fell into a ravine outside Bursa, local media reported.

Overnight, flames tore through the forested mountains around the Türkiye’s fourth-largest city, casting a red glow over eastern suburbs.

While firefighting teams made progress in the Orhaneli district, efforts were ongoing in other parts of the province as of July 27.

Authorities said the fires intensified on the evening of July 26 in the districts of Gürsu and Kestel, where strong winds fueled the flames.

A number of homes and agricultural animals were affected while access to nearby roads was temporarily restricted.

A woman who attempted to help extinguish the flames alongside her husband and children became briefly trapped by the advancing fire and was rescued by emergency crews.

“I was so scared. I kept thinking, ‘My children are going to burn.’ All I want is for this fire to end,” she recounted the terrifying ordeal.

Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said on July 27 that the fire’s intensity had decreased but noted it was too early to declare full control.

In Karabük province, a forest fire that broke out on July 23 continued to burn for a fourth day on July 27.

The blaze consumed vast tracts of woodland, forcing evacuations from 18 villages and 50 neighborhoods.

More than 1,000 residents had fled their homes, with at least 40 houses damaged so far.

A section of the Karabük-Ankara highway was temporarily closed due to fire risks but has since reopened under controlled conditions.

Heavy smoke in the area hindered aerial firefighting efforts, with local media describing scenes of the sun’s color changing and the sky turning grey due to thick smoke clouds.

Elsewhere in Türkiye, authorities battled wildfires in the provinces of Kahramanmaraş and Uşak.

In the southern city of Kahramanmaraş, flames destroyed three homes, prompting the evacuation of 130 residents.

Six firefighting personnel were treated after suffering from smoke inhalation.

In Uşak, evacuations were ordered in several villages after a fast-moving fire damaged homes, livestock and agricultural structures.

Türkiye has experienced dozens of wildfires daily since late June, driven by high temperatures, arid conditions and strong winds.

Firefighting teams responded to 76 separate incidents on July 26 alone, according to Yumaklı.

Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç said late July 26 that prosecutors had investigated fires in 33 provinces since June 26, adding that legal action had been taken against 97 suspects.