'Firebirds' 19,000 Hours in the Air: The Breathtaking Fight Against Forest Fires

This year, Turkey is conducting a massive, simultaneous air and land mobilization to combat forest fires. According to data from the General Directorate of Forestry (OGM), aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), known as "firebirds," have played a critical role in 5,399 fires that have broken out since the beginning of 2025.

Since the beginning of the year, aircraft have spent 4,240 hours in the air, making 7,193 sorties and dropping 26,886 tons of water. Helicopters have completed 44,217 sorties in 10,593 hours of flight time, dropping 135,628 tons of water. UAVs, which are responsible for detecting fires, spent 4,337 hours in the air, directing the response teams. Thus, the aircraft have spent a total of 19,170 hours in the air, fighting the flames with 51,410 sorties and dropping 162,514 tons of water.

Since June, when the fires intensified, 4,121 fires have been responded to. During this period, aircraft spent 3,824 hours in the air, dropping 26,088 tons of water, while helicopters flew for 9,906 hours, dropping 133,425 tons. UAVs also spent 3,973 hours in the air, supporting firefighting operations.

According to General Directorate of Forestry (OGM) data, 27 aircraft, 105 helicopters, 14 UAVs, 5,359 ground vehicles, and 25,000 personnel responded to the fires. Additionally, 776 fire watchtowers and 4,796 fire pools across the country are playing a critical role in combating the blazes.