Bursa boosts forest fire preparedness ahead of summer season

Bursa’s governor, mayor’s deputy and the head of the Forest General Directorate held a joint information meeting at the Merinos Atatürk Cultural Congress Center. Attendees included Governor Erol Ayyıldız, Deputy Mayor Şahin Biba, Forest General Manager Bekir Karacabey, AFAD regional director Mehmet Buldan and local muhtars. The officials outlined steps to improve coordination, expand training for muhtars and accelerate community awareness.

The municipality reported that fire‑fighting tankers have been delivered to 355 villages, with a target of 455, and that 147 new fire‑fighters have recently joined the ranks. Bursa now operates 31 stations, 164 vehicles and 772 personnel. Aerial resources include 28 aircraft, 119 helicopters and 14 drones, capable of delivering up to 462 tonnes of water per sortie, supported by 4,852 fire‑water reservoirs.

Karacabey emphasized that roughly 94 % of forest fires are human‑caused, mainly through negligence, and warned that preventing ignitions is the most effective strategy. Reforestation efforts have been intensified, with all burned areas now seeded and ready for future planting. The meeting underscored that fire prevention is a shared responsibility among authorities and citizens.