Türkiye boosts wildfire firefighting operations with expanded aerial and ground units
Iain Hoey
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Türkiye begins 2025 wildfire season with full deployment of firefighting assets
Daily Sabah has reported that Türkiye’s Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı confirmed the full deployment of national firefighting resources from 1 May.
The announcement was made during a meeting with provincial governors at the Fire Management Centre of the General Directorate of Forestry, focusing on preparation and coordination efforts for the wildfire season.
Yumaklı said: “With reserve forces included, we have 27 aircraft, 105 helicopters, 14 unmanned aerial vehicles, 1,786 fire trucks and water supply vehicles, 2,742 initial response vehicles and 831 construction machines to support this year’s efforts against wildfires.”
Coordination and preparation across all wildfire risk regions
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry stated that preparation for this year’s wildfire season began in autumn and continued through winter.
Yumaklı explained that resources and personnel are now fully ready, with firefighting units strategically positioned across high-risk regions.
He added: “As of May 1, all of our units and resources are fully prepared.”
The Ministry noted that coordination involves multiple institutions, including the Ministry of Interior, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), the gendarmerie, and the Ministry of National Defence.
Use of artificial intelligence and smart towers in wildfire monitoring
The Ministry reported that Türkiye’s wildfire response now includes artificial intelligence systems for data analysis and fire simulations.
Yumaklı said: “We use artificial intelligence in analyzing images from our smart towers and UAVs, among other things.
“Our Fire Decision Support System was awarded an international prize by the International Telecommunication Union of the United Nations.
“This system allows us to simulate forest fires and analyze data for better decision-making.”
The Ministry confirmed that 776 observation towers, including 184 smart towers, are in use, with real-time monitoring carried out using drones and AI-based tools.
Public awareness and prevention campaigns prioritised by officials
Yumaklı stated that human activity causes 84 percent of wildfires in Türkiye.
He explained that national awareness campaigns have reached communities in villages and towns across the country since last autumn.
He said: “We aim to significantly lower fire numbers with this campaign, which will be held on May 9 in all 81 provinces. I invite all citizens, regardless of age or gender, to join us in this valuable initiative.”
The “Forest is Mine” campaign will be held nationwide as part of the effort to reduce preventable fires through public involvement.
Türkiye boosts wildfire firefighting operations with expanded aerial and ground units: Summary
Türkiye’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry confirmed full deployment of wildfire response units as of 1 May.
The announcement was made during a coordination meeting with regional governors at the Fire Management Centre.
Resources include 27 aircraft, 105 helicopters, 14 UAVs, 1,786 fire trucks, 2,742 response vehicles and 831 construction machines.
Monitoring is supported by 776 observation towers, 184 of which are smart towers.
Firefighting efforts involve coordination between the Ministry of Interior, AFAD, the gendarmerie and the Ministry of National Defence.
Artificial intelligence is used to process images from UAVs and smart towers for simulation and decision-making.
Türkiye’s Fire Decision Support System has received international recognition.
Public awareness campaigns have targeted communities since autumn to reduce fire incidents.
The “Forest is Mine” initiative will be held nationwide on 9 May to encourage citizen involvement.
Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı stated that climate change has increased fire risks globally and necessitates national readiness.
Türkiye’s firefighting workforce has reached 25,000 personnel.
