Forest Fires & Preventing and Combating

Most of the forests in Turkey are located in fire sensitive areas. Forest fire issues are prime concern of the public. Therefore General Directorate of Forestry allocates most of its resources -capital and human- to forest fire management. A total of 5906 forest guards and 10174 fire fighters take place in forest fire prevention and combating organization.

The records for forest fires have been kept since 1937. According to these records 76.250 forest fires have occurred damaging 1.561.026 ha of forests in Turkey. For the last ten years, yearly average number of forest fires is 1915, and yearly average burned area is 9.526 ha.

Most of the causes are human rooted. More than half of the fires occur because of ignorance. The share of the natural causes in forest fires is negligible. The recent trends in forest fires suggest praiseworthy improvement in fire attack operations, but the number of fires, except for 2004, follows a steady line, which necessitates intensification of preventing measures.

Helicopters play a vital role in suppression operations, however, instability of renter countries poses a risk in obtaining helicopters. GDF raises this question in every fora and tries to find a way that will secure at least 16 helicopters ready for service during fire season.