Turkey's forest service deploys UAVs for early fire detection

Forest General Manager Bekir Karacabey said the most important factor in fighting forest fires is detecting them at the earliest possible stage. Turkey monitors forests with 776 observation towers, and since 2020 the system also includes unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with thermal cameras.

The UAV fleet, comprising 12 operational units and a total of 14 aircraft, can sense heat signatures before visible smoke appears. Turkey is one of only two countries using UAVs for forest monitoring and fire management. The drones operate across regions from Hatay through the Mediterranean, Aegean, Marmara and Black Sea areas and are stationed in provinces such as Adana, Antalya, Muğla, İzmir, Çanakkale, Manisa and Bursa. Each UAV can fly continuously for about 24 hours before refueling.

Live video from the UAVs is streamed to the national fire coordination centre and to field teams via smartphones and command vehicles, allowing crews to be dispatched quickly to high‑risk zones and improving the effectiveness of firefighting operations.