At least 10 firefighters and rescue workers lost their lives while battling a fierce wildfire in northwestern Turkiye on Wednesday, as the country grapples with a surge in wildfires amid extreme heat and strong winds.
According to the Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Ibrahim Yumakli, the victims included five forestry personnel and five rescuers who were part of a 24-member team caught in the blaze in Eskisehir province. Fourteen others were injured and are currently receiving treatment in hospital.
“Unfortunately, we have lost five forest workers and five [rescuers],” Minister Yumakli said during a live televised address. He explained that the team was trapped when high winds suddenly changed the direction of the fire, engulfing them before they could evacuate.
Local media reports, including the BirGun news site, quoted sources as saying the group was “burned alive”, as the fire moved rapidly through the dry terrain. The bodies of the victims were recovered after emergency crews managed to bring the blaze under control in the affected area.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered his condolences in a statement posted on social media, saying: “I pray for God’s mercy on our brothers and sisters who fought at the cost of their lives to protect our forests, and I offer my condolences to their families and our nation.”
A lawmaker from the region, Nebi Hatipoglu, said on social media platform X that there were “no words to describe our grief”.
The tragedy comes as Turkiye experiences a heatwave that has triggered a series of wildfires between Istanbul and Ankara, forcing the evacuation of several villages and threatening residential areas. Authorities have warned of continued risk due to a combination of extreme temperatures and unpredictable wind patterns.
“Starting tomorrow, we are facing extraordinary temperatures and extreme wind shifts,” Minister Yumakli warned, urging the public to remain vigilant. “Once again, I call on all 86 million citizens to exercise extra caution.”
The Turkish Justice Ministry confirmed that two prosecutors have been appointed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deadly incident.
The latest fatalities bring the total number of wildfire-related deaths in Turkiye to 13 this year. Earlier in July, a separate blaze in the Izmir province claimed the lives of an elderly man and two forestry workers near the town of Odemis.
Wildfires have become increasingly frequent and severe across Turkiye in recent years, with climate experts attributing the trend to rising global temperatures and prolonged dry spells.
Environmental groups and opposition parties have repeatedly criticised the government for insufficient preparedness and limited aerial firefighting capacity, particularly during high-risk months.
