İzmir arrests two men over sparks that ignited forest fires in Bornova and Buca

On 7 July 2026, two forest fires broke out in the İzmir districts of Bornova and Buca. The Bornova blaze started at about 11:30 a.m. in Yaka Mahallesi's Musluk area, burning roughly 5 dunams of forest and 3 dunams of agricultural land. The Buca fire began around noon in Yıldızlar Mahallesi's Körmenli area, damaging about 6 dunams of forest and 3 dunams of farmland. Both fires were quickly extinguished by ground and aerial crews.

Investigations determined the Bornova fire was caused by sparks from an iron‑cutting machine operated by a worker identified as Z. K., who was detained and later released after legal processing under the Turkish Forest Law. The Buca fire was traced to a spark from a hammer used in a hobby garden by landowner Ö. B., who was also taken into custody and remains under investigation.