More than 81,000 hectares of forest burned in Turkey in 2025, making it one of the most destructive wildfire years of the past decade and fueling renewed criticism of the government’s preparedness and response to increasingly severe blazes.
A total of 3,224 forest fires destroyed 81,473 hectares of woodland across the country, the BirGün daily reported on Wednesday, citing official data from the Forestry Directorate General (OGM).
The fires scorched an area roughly equivalent to the size of Yalova province in northwestern Turkey, emphasizing the scale of damage during a year marked by deadly blazes, extreme heat and drought.
Although the number of fires declined compared with the previous year, the total area burned increased sharply, raising concerns about Turkey’s ability to contain large wildfires.
Turkey recorded 3,797 forest fires in 2024 that damaged 27,485 hectares of woodland. By contrast, the 3,224 fires reported in 2025 destroyed nearly three times more forested land, suggesting that fires spread more widely before being brought under control.
The data also show that authorities were unable to determine the cause of 1,012 fires that broke out in 2025. These unexplained blazes alone destroyed 37,626 hectares of forest, accounting for nearly half of the total area burned during the year.
Human-related factors such as negligence, carelessness or accidents were cited as the most common cause overall. According to OGM statistics, 1,774 fires attributed to such causes burned 40,032 hectares of forest.
Investigators classified as intentional 160 fires that damaged 3,546 hectares, while 278 fires were linked to natural causes, affecting 269 hectares of woodland.
Deadly fires intensify debate
The scale of destruction comes after a summer marked by deadly wildfires and growing criticism of Turkey’s wildfire preparedness.
In July 2025, 10 forestry workers and rescue volunteers were killed while battling a fast-moving wildfire near Eskişehir in central Turkey when flames suddenly changed direction and trapped crews attempting to contain the blaze. Several others were injured.
The tragedy triggered nationwide outrage and reignited debate about the government’s wildfire response strategy. Opposition politicians and rights groups accused authorities of failing to invest sufficiently in modern firefighting equipment, training and prevention measures.
Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel at the time described the disaster as a result of “irresponsibility and mismanagement,” saying preventable tragedies had become routine in what he called “a country of easy deaths.”
Professional organizations and unions also argued that inadequate planning and insufficient firefighting infrastructure had increased risks for both workers and forests.
Turkey’s devastating wildfire season coincided with extreme heat and drought conditions that scientists say are becoming more frequent due to climate change.
In July 2025 the country recorded its highest temperature ever measured, reaching 50.5 degrees Celsius (122.9 Fahrenheit) in the southeastern town of Silopi during a Mediterranean heat wave that pushed temperatures far above seasonal norms.
The intense heat, combined with strong winds and dry vegetation, created conditions that allowed fires to spread rapidly across several regions, destroying homes, forcing evacuations and overwhelming emergency response teams.
Wildfires are common in Turkey during the hot, dry summer months, particularly in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions. However, environmental experts warn that rising temperatures and prolonged drought are increasing both the frequency and severity of such disasters.
Critics say that despite the rising number of forest fires over the past two decades, the government has failed to take necessary preventive steps, such as expanding aerial firefighting capacity or increasing the forestry directorate’s budget and staffing.
They also claim that burned forestland sometimes loses its protected status and is later opened to construction, mining or tourism projects.