Two major wildfires force mass evacuations in Turkey

Istanbul, July 27 (IANS) Two major wildfires in northwestern and northern Turkey triggered mass evacuations, with strong winds pushing flames toward residential areas and trapping vehicles on engulfed roads, local authorities said.

In Bursa province, an uncontrolled blaze between Kestel and Gursu districts spread rapidly toward villages, forcing evacuations. Online videos showed residents fleeing on foot as fire engulfed a main roadway, briefly stranding vehicles including civilian aid cars.

Meanwhile, a blaze that began on Thursday in Karabuk province remained uncontained, prompting precautionary evacuation of nearly 20 villages. Authorities closed the Ankara-Karabuk highway as residents attempted to relocate livestock from danger zones, Xinhua news agency reported.

Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ibrahim Yumakli confirmed on Saturday 76 active fires nationwide -- 28 forested and 48 rural, citing extreme heat and "very high risk" conditions.

He said firefighting teams will continue night operations.

Temperatures reached 38 degrees Celsius in Bursa and 37 degrees Celsius in Karabuk on Saturday, with forecasts predicting even higher temperatures over the next two days.

On July 23, ten firefighters died and 14 others were injured when trying to extinguish a forest fire in Turkey’s central province of Eskisehir.

"We lost 10 lives, five forest workers and five Search and Rescue Association volunteers," Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on social media platform X.

Yerlikaya said the 14 injured are currently in hospital for treatment.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed sorrow over the loss and promised compensation for their families.

Firefighting teams were working to extinguish flames in the western and central provinces of Sakarya, Antalya, Eskisehir, Bilecik and Denizli, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported earlier in the day.

Turkey's Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli told reporters that the total number of fires since the beginning of the year has exceeded 4,000, with 1,728 occurring in forested areas. He warned of the growing threat of these fires as temperatures soar across the country.

--IANS

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