Deadly wildfires spread across Turkey as thousands evacuated
The fires, which spread rapidly overnight in the forested mountains near Bursa, caused the closure of the highway linking Bursa to Ankara.
These blazes are being fuelled by unseasonably high temperatures, dry conditions, and strong winds, with Turkey recording its highest ever temperature of 50.5C in Sirnak province.
So far, 13 people have died, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers, amidst dozens of daily wildfires across the country since late June.
Prosecutors have investigated fires in 33 provinces, taking legal action against 97 suspects, while Izmir and Bilecik have been declared disaster areas.
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Wildfires burn through the night in Eastern Europe as over 50 blazes in Greece alone sees families evacuated from their homes
Wildfires are burning through the night in Eastern Europe with more than 50 blazes in Greece alone forcing families to be evacuated from their homes. Chaos broke out across the country on Sunday as temperatures soared to 44C which, paired with dry conditions and strong winds, has been causing fires across the continent. Two houses became engulfed in flames in Drosopigi, a village near Athens, forcing residents to flee their homes. At least five locals were rushed to hospital to be treated for their burns and smoke inhalation following the terrifying blaze. More than 200 firefighters, helped out by water-bombing aircraft and helicopters, were still tackling the fire on Sunday morning. A total of five major blazes broke out across Greece on a sweltering day which saw authorities issue a fresh emergency alert urging locals in Pissona, on the island of Evia, to evacuate. Officials there confirmed that a second fire had got 'out of control', The Times reports, and was heading towards the town of Afrati at speed. The blaze caused a number of villages, including Pournos and Mistros, to have their electricity supply cut off thanks to ruined power lines and pylons. Six firefighters had to be rushed to hospital while 115 stayed on to tackle the blaze. Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, a spokesman for the fire brigade, said: 'Today is expected to be a difficult day with a very high risk of fire, almost throughout the territory.' He added that at least 52 new blazes had popped up in the preceding 24 hours, but insisted that the situation was getting better in some places. Crews continued to tackle fires on the islands of Crete and Kythira, as well as the Messinia region of the Peloponnese. In Chania, Crete, a huge fire caused damage to homes and a church. Meanwhile, teams on the tourist hotspot of Kythira attempted to extinguish a blaze which was said to have extended across half of the island, according to deputy mayor Giorgos Komninos. He added that homes, as well as natural habitats, had been destroyed. Near Athens's northern edge, a series of blazes had to be contained in the greater Attica region, with teams putting a stop to them by the end of the day. Amid the destruction, Greece has been forced into asking for emergency help via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, in the form of six firefighting planes. In the meantime, support crews from Italy and the Czech Republic were expected to land in the country late on Sunday. Several regions remain under further fire threats, including the Ionian Islands, western Greece, the Peloponnese, central Greece, Attica, Epirus, western Macedonia (Florina, Kastoria, Kozani), eastern Macedonia and Thrace (Evros), Thessaly (Magnesia, Larisa, Trikala), the south Aegean (Rhodes) and Crete, officials confirmed. 'Apocalyptic' wildfires have been engulfing Southern Europe all weekend, with several holiday hotspots threatened by the blazes and residents forced to flee their homes. Fourteen people have been killed by the wild infernos in Turkey sparked by a record 50C heatwave, while blazes have also struck Montenegro and Albania. Smoke rose from charred tree branches near Montenegro's capital Podgorica on Sunday while huge flames could be seen dangerously close to city tower blocks. Meanwhile, fire tore through landscapes near Bulqiza, Albania, this weekend as emergency services desperately tried to tame the blaze. Twenty-six fires broke out throughout the country on Saturday, following a serious blaze near the southern Albanian town of Delvina on Friday, injuring three people and forcing the evacuation of around 2,000 locals. Overnight, flames obliterated the forested mountains surrounding Bursa city in northwest Turkey, shining a threatening red glow on the sky. It marked the latest city to be hit by deadly blazes this summer - as Cyprus also fell victim to aggressive wildfires amid unusually hot weather. The governor's office in Bursa said more than 1,760 people had been safely evacuated from villages to the northeast as around 2,000 firefighters battled the flames. The highway linking Bursa to the capital, Ankara, was closed off as surrounding forests burned. Orhan Saribal, an opposition parliamentarian for the province, likened the scene to 'an apocalypse'. Turkey has been hit by dozens of wildfires every day since late June - with Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yamukli revealing fire crews across the country approached 76 separate blazes on Saturday alone. The General Directorate of Meteorology said Turkey recorded its highest ever temperature - 50.5C (122.9F) - within the southeastern Sirnak province on Friday. The same day, homes and holiday properties burnt down in popular holiday hotspot Cyprus. A wide angle view shows smoke and flames rising as firefighting efforts continue after a forest fire, which was largely brought under control in the morning, reignites due to strong winds The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its travel advice in response to the devastation on the island. Warning of 'active wildfires', the government highlighted the Paphos and Limassol districts as some of the affected areas, located in the south of Cyprus. It added: 'Transport and infrastructure (electricity, water) links in locations close to the fires may be affected whilst the authorities respond to the situation.' Though the FCDO noted the airports in Paphos and Larnaca are 'operating as normal'. 'If you are due to travel to an area that might be affected by wildfires, contact your travel operator or accommodation provider before you travel to check that it is not currently impacted. Make sure you have appropriate insurance,' the advice read. The Foreign Office also included recommendations for those in the area or affected by the wildfires. 'Be cautious if you are in or near an area affected by wildfires. You should follow the guidance of the emergency services,' it stated. 'Call the Cypriot Emergency services on 112 if you are in immediate danger. A firefighting helicopter operates in a burned area after a wildfire in the area of Kryoneri, in the suburbs of Athens, Greece, on Sunday Firefighters attempt to extinguish a wildfire as smoke and flames rise from a forested area in the Gursu district of Bursa early on Sunday The fires are being ignited by unusually high temperatures, alongside dry conditions and strong winds Smoke and flames rise from a forested area during the latest major wildfire in Turkey 'Contact your airline or travel operator, who can assist you with information relating travel back to the UK.' And on Saturday, British tourists were put on alert as Greece wildfires spread amid a 44C heatwave - as a blaze tore through the capital of Athens. The southern European country was first hit with the scorching temperatures on Monday and they have not relented throughout the week. After the mercury hit a blistering 44C high in Athens on Tuesday, a wildfire burned through a northern suburb of the capital on Friday. Shocking pictures showed homes ablaze while residents of the town of Kryoneri, 12.5miles northeast of Athens, received three SMS warnings to evacuate.
Reuters
7 hours ago
- Reuters
Wildfires rage across Bulgaria, destroying forests and homes
SOFIA, July 27 (Reuters) - Firefighters battled wildfires at nearly 100 locations across Bulgaria on Sunday, with houses burned and residents evacuated, local media reported. A fire at the foot of the Pirin mountain in southwestern Bulgaria was spreading across thousands of acres of forest, Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) reported. Another fire in the town of Simitli destroyed several houses as it spread towards the Maleshevo Mountain. More than 200 firefighters sent to the area on Saturday were pulled out because high winds were putting their lives in danger, authorities said, adding they expected air support from other EU countries. In western Bulgaria, a fire which broke out on Saturday and quickly spread across the border into Serbia on Sunday along the Miloslavska mountain range, almost burned the village Rani Lug to the ground, Nova television reported. "It's a merciless tragedy," emergency volunteer Zvezdelin Vlaykov said as huge clouds of smoke rose over the hills. "In all my years of firefighting, I've never seen anything like it." Authorities said three villages had been evacuated and the fire had caused significant damage. In a statement, the Interior Ministry described Bulgaria's wildfire situation as "dynamic and severe". On Sunday afternoon, a large fire broke out in the village of Kozarevo in the southeastern province of Yambol, burning several houses, BNR reported. Countries in southeast Europe have experienced record temperatures over the past week, with many located in an area dubbed "a wildfire hotspot" by scientists.
BreakingNews.ie
8 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Wildfires threaten Turkish city as southern Europe grapples with blazes
Wildfires that have engulfed Turkey for weeks are now threatening the country's fourth-largest city, forcing more than 1,700 people to flee their homes and leaving one firefighter dead. Greece, Bulgaria and Montenegro are also battling blazes fed by unusually high temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds. Advertisement Overnight fires in the forested mountains surrounding Bursa, in north-west Turkey, spread rapidly, tinting the night sky over the city's eastern suburbs with a red glow. The fires come amid recent high temperatures (AP) Dozens of severe wildfires have hit the country daily since late June, with the government declaring the two western provinces of Izmir and Bilecik as disaster areas on Friday. The Bursa governor's office said that 1,765 people had been safely evacuated from villages to the north-east as more than 1,900 firefighters battled the flames. The major road linking Bursa to the capital, Ankara, was closed as surrounding forests burned. Advertisement A firefighter died from a heart attack while on duty, the city's mayor Mustafa Bozbey said, adding that the flames had scorched 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) around the city. Helicopters helped battle wildfires near Montenegro (AP) Orhan Saribal, an opposition parliamentarian for the province, described the scene as 'an apocalypse'. By morning, lessening winds brought some respite to firefighters, who continued efforts to battle the flames. However, TV footage revealed an ashen landscape where farms and pine forests had earlier stood. Forestry minister Ibrahim Yumakli said fire crews across the country confronted 84 separate blazes on Saturday. Advertisement The country's north-west was under the greatest threat, including Karabuk, where wildfires have burned since Tuesday and 1,839 people have been evacuated from 19 villages. The minister warned that growing winds could suddenly reignite fires not properly watered down after being extinguished. Turkey recorded its highest temperature on record on Friday with 50.5°C recorded in Silopi ⚠️📈 This exceeds the previous record of 49.5°C recorded on 15th August 2023 🌡️ This extreme heat is bringing serious health impacts and giving a very high risk of wildfires 🔥 — Met Office (@metoffice) July 27, 2025 Beleaguered firefighters and rescue workers also saved thousands of livestock and pets that had been left behind in the rush to evacuate threatened areas. Unseasonably high temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds have been fuelling the wildfires. Advertisement The General Directorate of Meteorology said Turkey recorded its highest ever temperature of 50.5C in the south-eastern Sirnak province on Friday. The highest temperatures for July were seen in 132 other locations, it said. Fourteen people have died in recent weeks, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers killed Wednesday in a fire in Eskisehir in western Turkey. Justice minister Yilmaz Tunc said late on Saturday that prosecutors had investigated fires in 33 provinces since June 26, and that legal action had been taken against 97 suspects. Smoke rises from trees burned by wildfire near Montenegro's capital Podgorica (AP) In Greece, firefighters battled active wildfires in the country's south-west and on the island of Kythera on Sunday, following a blaze that scorched the northern Athens suburb of Kryoneri on Saturday. Advertisement Temperatures reaching 38C or more persist across much of the country, though winds have eased slightly. In Kryoneri, 27 residents were evacuated overnight with police assistance after some initially ignored warnings. Authorities urged the public to comply with evacuation orders, warning that resistance puts both civilians and rescuers in danger. On Bulgaria's southern borders with Greece and Turkey, as well as the western Serbian frontier, firefighters battled wildfires as the government declared the worst-hit provinces disaster zones. Residents across nearly half the country were issued with a code red warning, the highest level.
