Eskişehir Seyitgazi Forest Fire (2025)

On 22 July 2025, a forest fire that began in the Seyitgazi district of Eskişehir rapidly spread over a large area due to weather conditions, reaching as far as the İhsaniye district of Afyonkarahisar. During the response efforts, a total of 10 personnel lost their lives, including five forest workers and five AKUT volunteers. Additionally, 14 people were injured, and judicial and administrative proceedings have been initiated regarding the incident.

Origin of the Fire and Initial Response

The forest fire began around 10:30 on 22 July 2025 in a wooded area near Büyükyayla Village in the Seyitgazi district of Eskişehir. Fueled by weather conditions, the fire quickly grew and spread beyond Eskişehir’s boundaries, reaching the İhsaniye district of Afyonkarahisar. As a result, the village of Sarıcaova under İhsaniye district was evacuated as a precautionary measure.

Teams from various institutions were mobilized to combat the fire. The response included eight helicopters, one aircraft, 20 all-terrain vehicles, five water supply trucks, six bulldozers, six graders, three trailers, one crane, four TOMA vehicles, and two ambulances. Additionally, a total of 144 personnel from 112 Emergency Health Services, police, gendarmerie, fire departments, AFAD, and the Red Crescent were actively deployed on the ground.

The fire spread due to meteorological factors such as wind and high temperatures, making containment difficult. Ground-based intervention continued throughout the night, while aerial operations resumed at dawn. Under the coordination of Eskişehir Regional Forest Director İsmail Çetin, one construction vehicle became inoperable after being engulfed by flames during the firefighting efforts.

Death of Personnel Involved in Firefighting

During the forest fire in Seyitgazi, Eskişehir, an abrupt change in wind direction trapped a 24-member team directly within the fire zone. This team consisted of 19 forest workers and five AKUT volunteers. The sudden shift in fire direction left the team members stranded along the fire line.

Ten of the 24 personnel trapped in the fire line lost their lives at the scene. Five of the deceased were forest workers employed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and five were volunteers of the Search and Rescue Association (AKUT). Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı confirmed in his statement that a total of 10 individuals had lost their lives.

Evacuation and Medical Treatment of Injured Personnel

Fourteen personnel were rescued with injuries after being trapped in the flames. Of these, seven were transported to various hospitals for medical treatment. According to Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu, six of the hospitalized patients were in stable condition, while one remained under intensive care.

Treatment for the injured continues at multiple healthcare facilities. Five injured individuals at Afyonkarahisar State Hospital are undergoing clinical monitoring, with plans to discharge some patients the following day. Health Minister Memişoğlu, along with Eskişehir Governor Hüseyin Aksoy and AFAD President, visited the hospitalized victims to assess their health status.

Identification and Transportation of the Deceased

The bodies of the 10 individuals who lost their lives in the fire were transported by ambulance from the incident site to the morgue of Afyonkarahisar State Hospital near the village of Sarıcaova in İhsaniye district. After the response operations concluded, the bodies were systematically transferred out of the region.

It was decided that the bodies would be sent to the Ankara Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification and DNA analysis. According to Minister Memişoğlu, these procedures are being conducted in coordination with the Ministry of Justice. The bodies were transported to Ankara using funeral vehicles owned by Afyonkarahisar Municipality.

The bodies were taken to the Group Presidency of the Ankara Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification and forensic examination.

AKUT Volunteers and Association Statement

The identities of the five AKUT volunteers who lost their lives during the firefighting operation were disclosed by the Search and Rescue Association (AKUT). The deceased volunteers were Muharrem Can, İlker Onarıcı, Tekin Enes Sarıyıldız, Bayram Eren Arslan, and Alperen Özcan.

In its social media statement, AKUT emphasized that the five volunteers acted selflessly for humanity, nature, and all living beings without expecting anything in return. The association highlighted that these individuals were important members of the organization who served as volunteers.

Official Statements and Condolences

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a message via his social media account regarding the five forest workers and five AKUT volunteers who lost their lives while fighting the fire. In his statement, he noted that the fallen personnel had fought at the cost of their lives and offered condolences and prayers for the deceased, as well as sympathy to their families and the nation.

Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran

Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, in his statement regarding those who lost their lives in the fire, offered prayers for the 10 individuals who died while protecting green areas and extended condolences to the families of the martyrs, the forestry organization, and civil society institutions.

Ministry of National Defense (MND)

The Ministry of National Defense shared a condolence message on its social media account for the forest workers and AKUT personnel who lost their lives in the forest fire in Seyitgazi, Eskişehir. The ministry expressed its condolences and prayers for the fallen personnel.

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı

At a press conference held at the Ankara Fire Management Center, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı stated that the fire had grown under extraordinary weather conditions, resulting in 10 fatalities and 14 injured individuals. Minister Yumaklı emphasized that the fire had exceeded the boundaries of a typical forest fire.

Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu

Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu offered condolences for those who lost their lives in the fire and shared updates on the health status of the injured with the public. He also noted that he had personally visited the hospitalized victims to closely monitor their condition.

Other Ministers and Political Representatives

Ministers Alparslan Bayraktar (Energy and Natural Resources), Mehmet Fatih Kacır (Industry and Technology), Ömer Bolat (Trade), Abdulkadir Uraloğlu (Transportation and Infrastructure), Murat Kurum (Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change), Ali Yerlikaya (Interior), Hakan Fidan (Foreign Affairs), Yusuf Tekin (National Education), Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş (Family and Social Services), Mehmet Nuri Ersoy (Culture and Tourism), and Vedat Işıkhan (Labor and Social Security) all issued condolence messages.

Other High-Level Statements

TBMM Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, Vice President of the Presidency Cevdet Yılmaz, AK Party Deputy Chairman Efkan Ala, AK Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik, and Director of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş also issued condolence messages for the martyrs, offering prayers for the deceased and wishes for swift recovery for the injured.

Investigation and Legal Developments

Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç announced that legal proceedings were immediately initiated following the forest fire that began in the Seyitgazi district of Eskişehir and spread to the İhsaniye district of Afyonkarahisar. Minister Tunç stated that the incident is being examined comprehensively and meticulously, and that all necessary steps are being taken. The investigation is being conducted by the Public Prosecutors’ Offices of Eskişehir and Afyonkarahisar, each of which has assigned separate public prosecutors to handle matters related to the incident.