Forest fires in Türkiye brought under control, minister says

Türkiye's Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı 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 Karşıyaka district, Yumaklı 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 Göynük, 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.

Yumaklı 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. Yumaklı 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 Bozdoğan district of Aydın 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.

Yumaklı praised the dedication and bravery of the firefighting teams, highlighting the tough conditions they face. "There were strong winds in Bozdoğan, 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 Gördes district, which have also been challenging due to the long, wide area they have spread across, exacerbated by strong winds. "In Gördes, we have one plane and 10 helicopters, along with a significant ground force, actively fighting the fire," Yumaklı added.

The minister also touched on the fires in Karabük's Ovacık and Uşak's Eşme districts, where the intensity of the flames has been significantly reduced. These fires are also nearing containment, Yumaklı said, expressing optimism that final updates would be available by the end of the day.