Mayor Eşki: “We are working for resilient cities and a stronger future.”

The fire that broke out in Gökdere Village, near the Buca border, at midday yesterday was brought under control and extinguished by the evening. Bornova Municipality played a major role in the firefighting efforts, mobilizing 200 personnel along with heavy machinery, fire intervention vehicles, and water tankers. Mayor Ömer Eşki was also on the ground with the teams from the very beginning of the fire.

YOMA and tankers deployed on-site

Bornova Municipality responded to the Gökdere fire with all available resources. Specialized vehicles developed within the municipality, known as “YOMA” (Fire Incident Response Vehicle), equipped with long-range water spray systems, water tankers, and construction machinery, were dispatched to the scene. A specially trained team of 200 people actively participated in bringing the fire under control and conducting post-extinguishing cooling operations.

Forests, industrial zones, and agricultural areas at risk

The fire broke out in an area where industrial facilities, farmlands, forests, and residential spaces are all closely intertwined. This made the potential impact of the fire much more destructive. Thanks to timely and coordinated intervention, a major disaster was averted. Expressing relief that the fire was controlled, Mayor Eşki stated, “If the fire had spread further, we could have lost a much larger area. But even the loss of a single tree is a great loss for all of us.”

“We must build cities resilient to disasters”

During the firefighting efforts, Mayor Eşki emphasized that disaster-resistant cities can only be built through investment and planning. “Unfortunately, our country is managed with an approach that does not adequately prepare for disasters. As Bornova Municipality, we have increased our preparedness since last year, and we will be even stronger next year. Turkey is highly vulnerable to disasters. We must acknowledge this fact and become resilient. Let us not forget: there is no other Turkey, no other planet. Everyone must do their part.”