Wildfires broke out in eight provinces in Turkey yesterday, mostly in western provinces, as temperatures continue to rise, according to the General Directorate of Forestry. All fires were brought under control after coordinated air and ground efforts.

According to the directorate, five of the fires began in rural areas and later spread to nearby forests.

“Fifty percent of wildfires start in agricultural zones. Small acts of negligence can lead to major disasters,” the authority warned, urging the public not to “set our future on fire.”

The summer months of July and August are typically the peak wildfire season in the Mediterranean basin.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) recently forecast that there is an 80% chance at least one year between 2025 and 2029 will surpass 2024’s global temperature record. The likelihood that one of those years will exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels is 86% . Most notably, the probability that the five-year average will cross the 1.5°C threshold has jumped to 70%, up from last year’s estimate of 47%.