İzmir's fire department reports 43% of fires caused by cigarettes, with 32,593 incidents and 18 fatalities in 2025.
The İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Fire Department has released its fire and emergency intervention data for the year 2025. Throughout the year, the department responded to a total of 32,593 incidents across the city, of which 15,284 were classified as fires. Tragically, 18 people lost their lives in these fires, and 254 individuals sustained injuries. Notably, 6,559 of the fires were attributed to cigarettes and matches.
This year proved to be particularly challenging for the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Fire Department. Firefighting teams intervened at great personal risk in numerous incidents, including fires, floods, and rescues, successfully preventing many disasters. The fire and emergency intervention data for 2025 revealed striking results, with an estimated material damage caused by these fires amounting to around 11 billion 126 million 378 thousand Turkish Lira.
Data regarding the causes of fires indicated that negligence has exacerbated the situation. In 2025, 6,559 fires were attributed to cigarettes and matches, 3,877 to open flames, 2,562 to electrical faults, and 595 to sparks and other causes.
Of the total fires, 10,118 occurred in urban centers, while 5,166 took place in rural areas. Firefighting teams reached incidents in an average time of 5 minutes and 52 seconds. Throughout the year, there were 211 forest and nursery fires, 98 olive grove fires, and 329 tree fires.
The impact of fires extended beyond humans, affecting animals as well. In 2025, 3,174 domestic and farm animals perished in fires. During rescue operations, 6,660 citizens were saved, and 4,698 animals were rescued alive.
Yaşar Korkmaz, the Head of the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Fire Department, stated that approximately 98% of the fires were human-induced, emphasizing, "A cigarette thrown away while still lit can lead to major disasters. This situation should serve as a serious warning for everyone." Korkmaz noted that 2025 was filled with disasters for İzmir, stating, "We faced fires, floods, and natural disasters. Particularly, forest fires had a severe impact on our city. In June, we battled multiple fires that broke out simultaneously in many locations. Extreme heat, low humidity, and wind contributed to the rapid spread of the fires. Therefore, preventive measures and public awareness are more important than ever. It is our duty to extinguish fires; however, preventing them from occurring is a responsibility we all share. Greater caution should be exercised, especially regarding cigarettes and uncontrolled flames."
Korkmaz announced that approximately 120,000 reports were made to the 112 Emergency Call Center throughout 2025, with 65,000 of these turning into incidents, and actual interventions were made in over 32,000 cases. He stated, "This year, we encountered mobile and dynamic fires for the first time. Extreme heat, low humidity, and strong winds caused fires to spread very rapidly. We faced a situation we had not encountered before. However, the danger is not over. The risk of fires will continue to increase in the coming years. Under the leadership of İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay, we are taking new measures. In this context, new firefighters have started their duties. Applications have been received for the recruitment of 200 personnel, and the tender process for 37 new firefighting vehicles is ongoing. Ten of the new vehicles will be all-terrain types."
Korkmaz highlighted the pressure of the climate crisis on water resources, stating that they are collaborating with universities and experts on alternative firefighting technologies in addition to extinguishing fires with water, aiming to be stronger in combating fires next summer. He also mentioned that fire extinguishing tanks distributed to 601 of 1,300 neighborhoods, particularly in high-risk rural areas, intervened in 1,018 fires before the fire department arrived in 2025, indicating that this preventive approach has achieved significant success.
Emphasizing that fires caused by cigarettes continue to be a serious issue, Korkmaz urged children to remind their parents during car journeys, "Everyone should know what a lit cigarette can lead to. The important thing is not just to intervene but to ensure that fires do not occur at all. I hope that 2026 will be a year without disasters, fires, and emergencies for İzmir."
Source: www.denizhaber.com
