Heat, low humidity fuel 50 fires across Manisa in 24 hours

MANİSA

Firefighters in Türkiye’s western province of Manisa battled 50 separate blazes in just 24 hours after a volatile mix of extreme heat, low humidity, and strong winds triggered a surge of wildfires, local authorities have said.

According to the Manisa Municipality’s fire department, the fires included 32 grass fires, one forest fire, one house fire, three vehicle fires, two roof fires, one transformer fire, five waste fires and five other incidents. All of the fires were brought under control through the efforts of emergency crews.

Officials said grass fires in agricultural land and green areas accounted for the majority of incidents as extreme weather conditions persist.

Fire Department Head Gürhan İnal warned that meteorological forecasts indicate an even greater fire threat in the coming days, with temperatures expected to continue rising while humidity levels decline further.

“As the Fire Department, we remain on alert across the city. However, responding to fires alone is not enough — we must prevent them before they start,” İnal said. He urged residents not to burn agricultural stubble and to avoid discarding cigarette butts or glass waste in open areas, warning that “a small act of negligence could destroy a farmer’s livelihood or our forests, which are the lungs of our environment.”

Authorities also reminded the public to immediately report any signs of smoke or suspected fire outbreaks to Türkiye’s 112 Emergency Call Center to enable a rapid response.