A wildfire claimed the lives of 11 forest workers on Wednesday as they battled to extinguish a fast-spreading blaze near Eskisehir in western Turkey, local authorities confirmed.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of 11 heroic forest workers who died fighting the flames,” Nebi Hatipoglu, a lawmaker from the region, wrote on X.
The fire, fuelled by soaring temperatures and strong winds, erupted on Tuesday morning between Istanbul and Ankara, threatening nearby homes and forcing several villages to evacuate.
According to the news outlet BirGün, the flames suddenly changed direction on Wednesday, catching the victims off guard. The report stated that the workers and volunteers were wrong-footed by the abrupt shift and tragically “burnt alive”.
“Unfortunately, there are no words to describe our grief,” Hatipoglu added. He belongs to the ruling AKP party.
Turkey has endured extreme heat since Sunday, with temperatures rising between six to twelve degrees Celsius above seasonal norms, forecasters said.
Multiple fires have broken out across the country under these tinder-dry conditions.
Experts have consistently warned that the continued burning of fossil fuels contributes to climate change, increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as wildfires and heatwaves.