Istanbul regional director of forestry at the General Directorate of Forestry, Celal Pir, announced that they are employing camera-equipped fire towers, drones (UAVs), and an AI-supported meteorological monitoring system to prevent and combat forest fires in Istanbul.
During the forest fire that broke out on Sunday in Aydos Forest in Pendik, Istanbul, approximately 4 hectares were damaged. The fire broke out near a residential area, allowing residents to report it to authorities quickly.
Teams arrived shortly after to bring the fire under control; the General Directorate of Forestry's technological infrastructure operates 24/7 to protect the forests across the city.
In an interview with Anadolu Agency (AA), Celal Pir mentioned that, with global warming, it is now possible to encounter fires in any season, but they occur more frequently from May to November.
Pir identified wind, rising temperatures and decreasing humidity as the three main factors that exacerbate the effects of fires. He said, "When this triangle combines, fires cause more damage to our forests; with climate change, temperatures are higher and humidity levels decrease; this means climate change is increasing the number of forest fires."
"In our country’s forests, there are 160 mammals, 466 birds, 120 reptiles, 22 amphibians, and 127 freshwater fish species, totaling 895 vertebrate species; this is a great richness in terms of flora and fauna."
"Research shows that the tree cover in cities can cool air temperatures by up to 8 degrees Celsius and land temperatures by up to 12 degrees Celsius. In a treeless street, the perceived temperature can be 40 degrees, Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) while with the cooling effect of trees, it drops to 32 degrees Celsius," he said.
Pir listed the most fire-prone areas in Istanbul as the forests in Adalar, Sultanbeyli, Aydos and Başıbüyük on the Anatolian side and the areas around Gazi City Forest and coniferous forests on the European side.
"Istanbul has approximately 240,000 hectares of forested area. Forty-four percent of Istanbul's total area is covered by forests, nearly half of the city. The majority of these forests are broad-leaved types like beech, oak hornbeam and chestnut."
"About 85% of Istanbul's forested areas are broad-leaved species, while around 15% are coniferous species like pine. Coniferous species are more susceptible to fires than broad-leaved ones. Therefore, we take more protective measures in coniferous forests," he outlined.
To combat forest fires, the regional directorate has 44 fire trucks and 28 fire truck teams, specifically for Istanbul; there are also 47 first-response vehicles, two water supply vehicles, four bulldozers, four graders, two trailers and a helicopter with a 2.5-ton water capacity stationed at Poyraz Tower.
Pir shared that 404 fireworkers and 75 engineers are working on fire prevention and extinguishing in Istanbul. He also said that they educate the public about fire safety, targeting students, shepherds, hunters, village heads, rural residents, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and relevant public institutions. They have trained 16,000 volunteers in Istanbul, giving certificates and volunteer IDs to about 6,000 of them, who then assist in fires.
Regarding the technology used in the Istanbul Regional Directorate of Forestry, Pir mentioned that besides fire towers, they have 14 UAVs assigned by the General Directorate of Forestry, which monitor fire-prone areas across Türkiye. These UAVs report any fire sightings to the nearest fire action center, and efforts are made to extinguish the fire.
Pir also mentioned that at the Fire Operation Center within the Istanbul Regional Directorate of Forestry, they use various systems to detect and manage forest fires, including the Forest Fire Early Warning System (OYEUS), the Fire Management System, the Meteorological Early Warning System (MEUS), thermal radar, thermal cameras, carbon dioxide detection systems and mobile image transfer systems, they also utilize artificial intelligence.
"Based on the time of day, our AI creates a fire risk map and organizes teams accordingly. We deploy our vehicles to high-risk areas and keep them on alert," he said.
Pir concluded by stating that 90% of fires are caused by human activity. "We work around the clock to protect and preserve Istanbul's forests. Forest protection requires attention from all residents, as fires cause inevitable damage and reforestation takes years. It's crucial to protect our forest resources. We urge residents to be vigilant, avoid lighting campfires and exercise caution. There's only one Istanbul; let's protect it both culturally and environmentally.
