Türkiye is facing one of its most dangerous wildfire weeks of the year, with deadly blazes devastating multiple regions, fueled by record heat, dry conditions, and strong winds.

Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı warned on Monday that the country has entered a “very risky week” for wildfires. The warning came as fires near Türkiye’s fourth-largest city, Bursa, forced the evacuation of more than 3,500 residents.

A major blaze northeast of Bursa was largely extinguished, but flames to the south of the city remain active, though “significantly reduced” in intensity, Yumaklı said. In northwestern Karabük, a fire burning for six days has been mostly contained, while another in southern Kahramanmaraş is under control.

On Monday, a fresh wildfire erupted in forests near the western port city of İzmir, where 11 aircraft joined ground teams and local residents in battling the flames.

The wildfires have taken a heavy toll. In Bursa, three volunteer firefighters from Bolu lost their lives after their water tanker overturned en route to a blaze. Another firefighter died of a heart attack while on duty. These deaths bring the wildfire death toll in Türkiye to at least 17 over the past month, including 10 forestry workers killed in a fire in Eskişehir.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that 99 individuals are facing prosecution over suspected connections to the fires, including cases of negligence and deliberate arson.

Regional Crisis Across Southeast Europe

Neighboring Greece is also battling severe wildfires. On Monday, firefighters raced to control a blaze near the National Technical University of Athens. Eleven aircraft, eight helicopters, and over 100 firefighters are engaged in the operation, with key roads closed as flames approach urban areas.

On the island of Kythera, strong winds reignited a wildfire that over the weekend burned 10% of the island, prompting multiple village evacuations.

In Bulgaria, Turkish firefighting teams crossed the northern border to assist local crews in tackling a massive fire near the village of Lesovo, which was evacuated. Another severe blaze in Strumyani forced 200 firefighters to retreat due to dangerous wind conditions. Over 269 fires were extinguished in Bulgaria in the past 24 hours alone. Officials confirmed that at least two individuals have been arrested for deliberately starting fires.

Heatwaves Fueling the Disaster

Türkiye and other eastern Mediterranean nations are experiencing unseasonably high temperatures, record-breaking heatwaves, and extreme dryness, creating perfect conditions for wildfire outbreaks. Vast swathes of forest have been reduced to ash, though the number of homes destroyed remains limited thanks to rapid evacuations and firefighting responses.

Authorities continue to warn the public to avoid risky behaviors such as open flames or discarded cigarettes. With dozens of active fires still being fought, the week ahead remains critical for Türkiye and its neighbors in preventing further loss of life and destruction. (ILKHA)