Massive fire forces village evacuation as blaze spreads from Ankara to Bolu

A fire that ignited in a grassy area in Ankara’s Kizilcahamam district has spread to a forested area in Bolu’s Gerede district, prompting the evacuation of a village.

The blaze began around noon in Kizilcahamam’s Sahinler neighborhood under unknown circumstances. Emergency responders swiftly dispatched numerous firefighters, water trucks, tankers, and two helicopters to the scene.

The fire, which started on the Ankara-Bolu border, subsequently advanced into the forested region of Gerede. To prevent the fire from reaching the Demirler village in Gerede, local residents were evacuated.

Efforts to control the fire, which destroyed a barn, were successful in preventing its spread to residential areas, thanks to both aerial and ground operations.

Firefighting efforts are ongoing in the forested areas of both Kizilcahamam and Gerede.

Human-caused fire

In response to the fire’s spread to Gerede, the Bolu Governorship issued a statement: “The forest fire that began today at approximately 12:28 p.m. in Kizilcahamam, Ankara, and has extended to the Demirler village area in Gerede, is being managed under the coordination of our Governorship. Extinguishing efforts are currently underway.”

Ankara Governor Vasip Sahin said in a statement that the fire (Kizilcahamam fire) was human-caused. “According to the first determinations, the basis of the fire is human-caused,” the statement said.