Izmir Prepares for Fire Season with Enhanced Coordination

Izmir Metropolitan Municipality is intensifying its preparations for the upcoming fire season, focusing on bolstering preventive measures and enhancing response capabilities. Ahead of the 2026 fire season, the municipality convened a comprehensive assessment meeting with public institutions and district municipalities to strengthen fire prevention efforts, increase intervention capacity, and improve inter-agency coordination.

The meeting, coordinated by the Disaster Coordination Center Branch Directorate (AKOM) under the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality's Disaster Affairs and Risk Management Department, included representatives from relevant municipal units, 30 district municipalities' disaster affairs and risk management directorates, as well as representatives from the General Directorate of Forestry, AFAD Provincial Directorate, TEİAŞ 3rd Regional Directorate, and Gediz Elektrik.

Discussions centered on a thorough analysis of Izmir's risks for the 2026 forest fire season, evaluating data, statistics, and field experiences from previous years. Participants reviewed preparedness efforts within disaster plans, departmental responsibilities, and proposed ways to make current operations more effective. The meeting also addressed the growing risks associated with climate change and established common decisions to enhance cooperation among institutions in combating forest fires with a holistic approach.