A fire killed 10 forest workers who were battling to extinguish flames near Eskisehir in western Turkey, local authorities said.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of 10 heroic forest workers who died fighting the flames," wrote Nebi Hatipoglu, a member of parliament for the constituency, on X.

High temperatures and strong winds fueled the forest fire between Istanbul and the capital Ankara on Tuesday morning (July 22). The spread of the flames threatened homes and forced the evacuation of several villages.

The victims were caught in the fire on July 23 when the flames suddenly changed direction, according to the news site BirGun.

The sudden changes in direction took forest workers and volunteers by surprise, with the 10 victims "burning alive," BirGun added.

"Unfortunately, there are no words to describe our grief," added Hatipoglu of the ruling Justice and Development Party.

According to meteorologists, Turkey has been suffering from a heatwave since July 20, with temperatures between 6 and 12 degrees above seasonal norms. 

Several fires have been reported across the country amid fire hazard conditions.

Scientists have long warned that burning fossil fuels makes extreme weather events, such as heat waves, more likely and more intense. | BGNES