Key facts
- Five wildfires are actively burning in Turkey as of Friday afternoon.
- The agriculture ministry has warned that the risk of fires will persist into the following week.
- High temperatures and strong winds are expected to continue across 10 provinces.
- Out of 206 recorded fires since Wednesday, 202 have been controlled.
- 65 buildings have been damaged or destroyed by the fires, primarily in Antalya and Muğla.
Five wildfires continue to burn across Turkey's western and southern coasts as of Friday afternoon, with the agriculture ministry issuing a warning of elevated fire risk extending into the following week. High temperatures and strong winds are forecast to persist across 10 provinces, increasing the danger of reignition.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı stated that intervention efforts would continue until all problems were resolved. Of the 206 fires recorded since Wednesday, when strong winds fanned blazes, 202 had been fully controlled by Friday. The General Directorate of Forestry deployed significant resources, including 28 aircraft, 119 helicopters, and nearly 2,000 fire trucks.
In Bodrum's Cine district, firefighters worked to evacuate animals, while in Antalya and Muğla provinces, 65 buildings were damaged or destroyed. Residents described devastating losses, with one woman stating, "We have turned to ashes, we have nothing left." The European Forest Fire Information System reports that 22,587 hectares have been burned in Turkey this year, a figure exacerbated by recent drought conditions.