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Türkiye brings 258 of 260 wildfires under control: Minister

Firefighters, Turkish General Directorate of Forestry teams and citizens, living in the area, continue their efforts to extinguish the fire while air and land intervention continues against the forest fire in Seydikemer district of Mugla, Türkiye on July 30, 2026. (AA Photo)
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Firefighters, Turkish General Directorate of Forestry teams and citizens, living in the area, continue their efforts to extinguish the fire while air and land intervention continues against the forest fire in Seydikemer district of Mugla, Türkiye on July 30, 2026. (AA Photo)
August 01, 2026 12:18 PM GMT+03:00

Türkiye has brought 258 of the 260 wildfires reported since July 29 under control, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said on Saturday.

Yumakli said the fires in Gomec district of Balikesir and Gulnar district of Mersin had been fully contained, while the blazes in Cine, Aydin, and Susurluk, Balikesir, had largely been brought under control.

"There is currently no fire posing a threat," he said.

A helicopter drops water on the affected area to extinguish remaining hotspots as firefighting crews carry out cooling operations after largely containing a forest fire through aerial and ground interventions in the Aydincik district of Mersin, Türkiye, on July 30, 2026. (AA Photo)
A helicopter drops water on the affected area to extinguish remaining hotspots as firefighting crews carry out cooling operations after largely containing a forest fire through aerial and ground interventions in the Aydincik district of Mersin, Türkiye, on July 30, 2026. (AA Photo)

Crews focus on remaining fire zones

Firefighting teams continued to work from the air and on the ground in Cine, where a forest fire entered its third day.

The fire, which broke out on July 30 for an undetermined reason, damaged five houses in the Kavsit Plateau area. Authorities also evacuated 30 homes as a precaution and moved animals from four neighborhoods to the Cine livestock market.

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In Susurluk, crews continued efforts to fully contain a fire that started in the Yildiz neighborhood on Friday. Aircraft, helicopters, firefighting vehicles and nearly 200 personnel had been sent to the area.

Smoke from the fire area fills the sky while firefighters and Turkish General Directorate of Forestry teams continue their efforts by air and land to extinguish the fire that broke out in the forest area in Fethiye district of Mugla, Türkiye on July 31, 2026. (AA Photo)
Smoke from the fire area fills the sky while firefighters and Turkish General Directorate of Forestry teams continue their efforts by air and land to extinguish the fire that broke out in the forest area in Fethiye district of Mugla, Türkiye on July 31, 2026. (AA Photo)

Authorities call for greater caution

Yumakli warned that starting a fire carries serious penalties and called on the public to avoid lighting fires outdoors.

He also urged people to call the 112 emergency number as soon as they notice any sign of a fire.

"We became involved in responding to 260 fires in three days," he said.

The Agriculture and Forestry Ministry said aerial operations had been stepped up after sunrise, while ground crews continued working without interruption following overnight efforts.

August 01, 2026 12:18 PM GMT+03:00
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