Behind The Flames: Investigating Wildfires in Turkey and Italy

Turkey and Italy are among the countries that report the highest number of burnt land by hectares. Forests have been a major area of contention in Turkey and Italy, where profiting interests on land usage are challenging protective wind land regulations.  

In 2024, forests reduced to ashes in Turkey nearly totalled the size of Malta. Some laws stipulate that burnt areas must be reforested, but others promote the development of lucrative infrastructure, even in forests. We investigated why Turkish forests are still being decimated by fires, which are bigger and more frequent each year, exposing the hidden link between wildfires and profit-driven forest policies. The main challenge of investigating wildfires in Turkey was the near absence of (objective) public information, which we countered by visiting sites with local forest engineers, working with satellite imagery and speaking with the historic community living in symbiosis with nature.  

Sicily is among the regions most affected by wildfires in Italy. Every year, around ten thousand fires damage ecosystems and put the lives of residents at risk. The regional government spends tens of millions of euros annually to set up a complex system for prevention and suppression, but the results are poor despite numerous promises and attempts to invest in new technologies. The investigation sheds light on the long chain of institutional failures and makes it clear that even the prosecutors still have no clear strategy for stopping arsonists. Is there a single orchestrated plan behind the arson attacks, or are they simply the result of personal actions facilitated by disorganisation and neglect of the land?  

Photo: Workers from the directorate of forests and firemen take a break after wrestling blazes in Balıklıova, Izmir, Turkey on 17 August. While the cause of half of fires in Turkey are officially unknown, the governor of Izmir said this one was caused by faulty electrical lines. (c) Aylin Elci