Masdaf Supports the Fight Against Forest Fires

Masdaf Supports Combat Against Forest Fires Turkey faces a hot and dry summer due to the climate crisis. This brings with it a higher probability of forest fires than normal. Moreover, forest fires now last longer than before. Turkey lost 27,000 hectares of green space in 2021 and 14,000 hectares in 2022 due to forest fires. Early intervention against forest fires, which disrupt ecosystems and threaten biodiversity, is vital for controlling fires, saving lives, protecting biodiversity and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

So what needs to be done as part of early intervention in forest fires? Here are the details…

Scorching heat is at the door, warning bells are ringing for our forests. Due to the climate crisis, whose effects we feel more each year, excessively hot and dry air practically invites forest fires. Moreover, forest fires now last longer than before. For this reason, they are not easily brought under control. Turkey lost 27,000 hectares of green space in 2021 and 14,000 hectares in 2022 due to forest fires. Approximately 40 percent of forest fires can start due to human negligence—from picnics, lit fires, discarded cigarette butts and similar causes.

Intervention before firefighting teams arrive at the scene is important

Early intervention against forest fires, which disrupt ecosystems and threaten biodiversity, is vital for controlling fires, saving lives, protecting biodiversity and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To be sufficiently successful in this regard, the public, local authorities—municipalities—and protection and security personnel of the General Directorate of Forestry must be adequately informed. This is because sometimes intervening in a fire before firefighting teams even arrive at the scene plays an effective role in bringing the fire under control quickly. In areas where fires are frequent, fire pumps providing early intervention capacity must be kept on hand, and municipal and General Directorate of Forestry protection and security personnel must be given necessary training on this matter. In fact, these systems, which need to be activated quickly at the time of fire, should be operated and tested at regular intervals.

Fire pumps provide effective solutions in early intervention

Masdaf, which has pioneered the pump sector in Turkey for half a century, drew attention to the importance of "fire pumps" that provide effective solutions in combating forest fires. Nihan Göksal, Marketing Director at Masdaf, saying "Turkey faces a summer expected to be hot and dry, which brings with it a higher probability of forest fires than normal," noted that forest fires, which negatively affect ecosystems, can be mitigated before firefighting teams arrive at the scene through intervention with fire pumps, reducing the impact of fires on forests, people and the environment: "Let our forests not burn this summer. Fires can be extinguished before spreading with conscious people and fire suppression systems—that is, fire pumps—provided early intervention is undertaken. As Masdaf, we develop 'Fire Pumps' in compliance with the most widely preferred NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) and UL/FM standards worldwide, providing effective system solutions in combating fires by pressurizing water fire suppression systems in forests. Thus, we enable firefighting teams to intervene in fires with fire pumps and bring them under control before arriving at the scene. However, not every fire pump may result in effective intervention. The products must be selected correctly and standards must be applied correctly. Of course, it is also quite important that the people using the pump are trained," he said.