June sees fivefold increase in forest fires in Türkiye

ISTANBUL

In June, record-breaking temperatures across various cities in Türkiye have led to a fivefold increase in forest fires compared to last year.

The General Directorate of Forestry emphasized the need for protective measures and cautioned against behaviors that would spark forest fires, such as stubble burning and improper disposal of cigarette butts.

Meteorology expert Orhan Şen highlighted the critical situation and stated, “Temperatures are high. We are only experiencing this in June and July, August and September are ahead,” referring to the warmer temperatures experienced in those months.

“The Aegean, Mediterranean, Eastern, Southeastern, Marmara and Thrace regions, including Çanakkale, are above 40 degrees Celsius.”

According to measurements made with the Copernicus satellite monitoring system of the EU, with March, April and May being the hottest months all over the world, the spring of 2024 went down in history as the "hottest spring of all time."

Şen added that low humidity, high temperatures and wind speeds above 40 kilometers per hour significantly increase the risk of forest fires.

Former undersecretary of the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Ministry Mustafa Öztürk stressed that 95 percent of forest fires are human-caused.

“When there is high temperature and low humidity, dry grass, stubble and agricultural fields burn like kindling,” he explained.

Öztürk also pointed out the detrimental effects on agricultural productivity and stated, “Water retention capacity of stubble-burned soils decreases and the need for water increases. Agricultural production efficiency decreased by 30 percent.”

Recent fires in various regions have caused extensive damage.

In the west, a fire in İzmir’s Çeşme district was controlled after 3.5 hours, affecting 250 hectares.

In Bursa’s Büyükorhan district, cooling efforts are ongoing after significant damage.

Manisa’s Dibekbağı district also faced a rapid spread of fire due to wind, leading to the evacuation of the Yağbasan and Karasavcı neighborhoods. The fire was fought with five airplanes, four helicopters, 51 extinguishing teams, nine aerial vehicles and 337 ground personnel.

Around 400 fires were recorded between June 1 to 21 this year, according to the General Directorate of Forestry, compared to 84 in the same period last year.

Within this period, 41 hectares of forest and 2,548 hectares of non-forest areas were damaged.

In Türkiye’s southeast, the death toll of the people who died in a stubble fire that broke out in an area between Diyarbakır's Çınar and Mardin's Mazıdağı districts has risen to 14. While 78 people were injured by the fires, many cattle and sheep caught in the flames also died.

The fire that broke out in the İdil district of Şırnak, which was brought under control in the evening, started again due to the wind. Efforts to extinguish the fire affecting seven villages which were evacuated continue.

Authorities continue to warn against behaviors that can trigger fires and emphasize the importance of preventative measures to protect Türkiye’s forests and agricultural lands.