A forestry worker injured in a wildfire in the Ödemiş district of Turkey’s western İzmir province has died in the hospital, raising the death toll from the region’s fires to three, Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı announced on Saturday.
The fire in Ödemiş, located about 100 kilometers east of the Aegean city of İzmir, had already claimed the lives of an 81-year-old bedridden man and a 39-year-old forestry worker on Thursday. The third victim, identified as Ragıp Şahin, succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment.
Yumaklı said the blaze in Ödemiş was brought under control by Friday evening, along with six other wildfires across western and central Turkey. However, efforts were still ongoing to contain a separate fire in the coastal district of Dörtyol in Hatay province.
In a video shared on social media, Ödemiş Mayor Mustafa Turan said the fire had scorched approximately 5,000 hectares (12,400 acres) of land. “The fire came violently to this area; there’s nothing left to burn,” he said.
More than 600 wildfires have been reported across drought-stricken regions of Turkey over the past week, fueled by strong winds and dry vegetation. While the country has so far avoided the record-breaking heatwaves that hit other parts of southern Europe this summer, prolonged drought conditions linked to climate change have heightened the risk and intensity of wildfires.
On Monday authorities evacuated more than 50,000 people due to a series of fires across multiple provinces.
According to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), 96 wildfires have been recorded in Turkey so far this year, burning more than 49,652 hectares (122,700 acres) of land.
Experts warn that climate change and poor land management are driving the increase in both the frequency and scale of wildfires, and have urged Turkish authorities to invest more heavily in prevention and mitigation efforts.