Raging Wildfires Force Mass Evacuations in Turkey’s Bursa as Blazes Threaten Major City

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Wildfires raging across Türkiye for weeks reached dangerous proximity to the country’s fourth-largest city, Bursa, early Sunday, forcing the evacuation of hundreds and threatening suburban areas, according to the Associated Press (AP).

Overnight, flames engulfed the forested mountains surrounding the northwestern city, casting a red glow over Bursa’s eastern outskirts and prompting emergency evacuations. The Bursa governor’s office said that at least 1,765 people were safely evacuated from northeastern villages as more than 1,100 firefighters battled the spreading inferno.

The fires also disrupted key transportation routes. Authorities temporarily closed the main highway connecting Bursa to the capital, Ankara, due to the surrounding forest fires.

Orhan Saribal, an opposition member of parliament from the region, described the devastation as “an apocalypse,” underscoring the scale of destruction.

By Sunday morning, a drop in wind speed offered some relief to firefighters working through the night. However, television footage showed scorched farmland and charred pine forests, highlighting the widespread damage.

Türkiye has been battling dozens of wildfires daily since late June, with much of the country experiencing unseasonably high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds — conditions fueling the fires. According to Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yamukli, emergency crews responded to 76 separate wildfires on Saturday alone.

The General Directorate of Meteorology reported that Türkiye recorded its highest-ever temperature on Friday — 50.5°C (122.9°F) — in the southeastern province of Sirnak. The agency noted that record July temperatures were recorded in 132 locations across the country.

Authorities say the northwestern region is currently under the greatest threat, with Karabuk among the worst-hit areas, where fires have been burning since Tuesday.

The wildfires have already claimed at least 13 lives in recent weeks, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers who perished on Wednesday in a blaze in Eskisehir, western Türkiye.

In response to the escalating crisis, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said that since June 26, prosecutors have launched investigations into fires in 33 provinces, taking legal action against 97 suspects. The causes of the fires are being closely examined, with some potentially linked to negligence or arson.

On Friday, the Turkish government declared the western provinces of Izmir and Bilecik disaster zones due to the severity of the fires, as the country braces for continued extreme weather and ongoing firefighting challenges.