AXA Turkey Highlights Prevention and Risk Management in Forest Fire Response

Forest Fire Risk and Preventive Measures in Turkey

Forest fires in various regions of Turkey have again drawn attention to the rising fire risk linked to climate change and the importance of preventive measures. Yavuz Ölken, CEO of AXA Turkey, stated that combating forest fires requires individual awareness, social responsibility, early warning systems and strong risk management.

The risk of forest fires increases during long and hot summer periods and threatens wildlife, residential areas and economic activity in different parts of Turkey. High temperatures, drought, low humidity and strong winds support faster fire spread, while human negligence continues to show the importance of preventive behaviour.

A study titled Forest Fires: An Increasingly Significant Risk, prepared by the Centre for Risk Research at the University of Cambridge’s Faculty of Management with the support of AXA XL, states that forest fires are becoming more destructive and costly because of climate change and increasing urbanisation. The study underlines the value of preventive planning, building standards, early warning systems, risk engineering and insurance in post-disaster recovery and social resilience.

AXA Turkey CEO Yavuz Ölken on Individual Responsibility

Yavuz Ölken, CEO of AXA Turkey, said every individual has a responsibility to help prevent forest fires. He stated that awareness begins with keeping the natural environment clean, not leaving litter behind, not lighting fires on hot and dry days, not discarding cigarette ends in rural areas and avoiding activities near forests that may create sparks.

He said climate change raises fire risk through higher temperatures, drought and extreme weather events, while preventing human-caused negligence remains largely dependent on individual behaviour.

Early Warning Systems and Preventive Insurance Against Forest Fires

Ölken said the response to forest fires should be strengthened not only during emergencies but also before fires begin. He stated that insurance should not be seen only as a system activated after a loss, but also as a structure that anticipates risks, evaluates them with accurate data, warns institutions and society and supports action before damage occurs.

According to Ölken, AXA Turkey places this approach at the centre of its Preventive Insurance and Adaptive Insurance models. He stated that combining early warning systems, AI-supported risk maps, climate data, risk engineering and suitable building standards can reduce the losses caused by fires.

Collective Responsibility to Protect Nature

Ölken said protecting nature is a civic duty and that public awareness should be strengthened by warning those who do not protect the environment and by reminding society of the effects of climate change. He also stated that burned areas should be protected and their natural recovery processes respected so forests can regenerate.

AXA Turkey continues work in preventive insurance, risk engineering, data analytics and public awareness to identify climate-related risks in advance, improve resilience and strengthen the protective role of insurance.

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