Turkey is battling a wildfire crisis as record-breaking heat fuels dozens of blazes across the country. Over 1,700 people have been evacuated from Bursa, with 13 dead and disaster zones declared in multiple provinces.

Wildfires raging across Türkiye for weeks reached a critical point early Sunday, July 27, as flames threatened Bursa, the country’s fourth-largest city. Overnight, fires in the forested mountains surrounding Bursa lit up the eastern suburbs with an ominous red glow, forcing hundreds to evacuate. (Image: Reuters)

According to a statement from the Bursa governor’s office, 1,765 residents from nearby villages were safely evacuated as over 1,100 firefighters worked around the clock to control the blaze. The main highway connecting Bursa to Ankara was shut down as fires consumed vast forest areas nearby, PTI reported. (Image: Reuters)

Describing the scenes as “an apocalypse,” opposition MP Orhan Saribal highlighted the devastation. Television footage showed a scorched landscape where farms and pine forests once thrived, although calming winds have given firefighters a slight edge in containment efforts. (Image: Reuters)

Since late June, Türkiye has been battling dozens of wildfires daily. On Saturday alone, Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yamukli reported 76 separate blazes across the country. The fires are being intensified by extreme weather—unseasonal heat, dry conditions, and strong winds, according to PTI. (Image: Reuters)

The General Directorate of Meteorology confirmed that Türkiye recorded its highest-ever temperature—50.5°C (122.9°F)—in the southeastern province of Şırnak on Friday. Additionally, record July temperatures were reported in 132 other locations nationwide. (Image: AP)

The northwest region remains at the highest risk, with fires burning in Karabük since Tuesday. Tragedy has also struck: 13 people, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers, have lost their lives—most recently in a devastating blaze in Eskişehir on Wednesday, PTI added. (Image: AP)

Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç said that since June 26, prosecutors have investigated wildfires in 33 provinces, with legal action taken against 97 suspects. In response to the escalating crisis, the government has declared the western provinces of İzmir and Bilecik as disaster zones. (Image: Reuters)