1,700 evacuated, firefighter dead as Turkey wildfires tear through major city

Wildfires that have harassed Turkey for weeks are now threatening the country's fourth-largest city on Sunday, forcing 1,700 evacuations and leaving another firefighter dead.

Fires surround the city of Bursa in Turkey's northwest, with the government saying it has evacuated 1,765 people and deployed roughly 1,900 firefighters to combat the blaze. The conflagration has so far scorched over 7,000 acres and claimed the life of at least one firefighter, who had a heart attack on the scene.

Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said fire crews across the country confronted 84 separate blazes Saturday. The country’s northwest was under the greatest threat, including Karabuk, where wildfires have burned since Tuesday, he said.

The General Directorate of Meteorology said Turkey recorded its highest ever temperature of 122.9 degrees Fahrenheit in the southeastern Sirnak province on Friday. 

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Fourteen people have died in recent weeks, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers killed Wednesday in a fire in Eskisehir in western Turkey.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said late Saturday that prosecutors had investigated fires in 33 provinces since June 26, and that legal action had been taken against 97 suspects.

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The blazes have threatened to cross borders into Turkey's neighboring countries of Greece and Bulgaria.

Bulgaria's National Fire Service chief Alexander Djartov said they have enlisted the help of European Union partners to combat the fires. He said aircraft were expected from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, France, Hungary and Sweden later Sunday.

Turkey says it has used the military to reinforce beleaguered firefighters in many areas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

'Real Housewives' star Kim Zolciak rebuilds life as estranged husband takes surprising career turn

"Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Kim Zolciak and her estranged husband, Kroy Biermann, have been going through a messy divorce since 2023, but they are moving on in their personal lives.

In May, Biermann – a former Atlanta Falcons football player – filed for divorce from the reality star after nearly 12 years of marriage. Zolciak countered with her own divorce petition filed hours after his, but the couple briefly reconciled until he refiled in August of that same year. 

Biermann was seeking sole legal and physical custody of their four children: Kroy, Kash, and twins Kaia and Kane. Biermann adopted Zolciak's adult daughters from a previous relationship, Brielle and Ariana Zolciak-Biermann.

The couple married in grand fashion with a spin-off show highlighting their November 2011 nuptials. They then received their own family-focused program based on their rowdy antics, "Don't Be Tardy."

Over the last two years, the couple's divorce proceedings have turned messy. There have been accusations of drug use, unfit parenting and financial issues.

In June, Zolciak's daughter said she would "pray literally every night" for her parents to get back together.

"I think at this point though, unfortunately, there is too much damage to be done," Ariana Biermann said on Gia Guidice's podcast, "Casual Chaos."

Ariana mentioned at some point "we're all gonna have to go to court and give our testimonies and witness statements and everything. And it's just the most insane thing ever."

She admitted that her parents' divorce has made her become closer to her mom and older sister, Brielle.

"This whole situation of everything brought me and my mom and my sister closer. And we're kind of like the three best friends, which I'm really grateful for," Ariana said.

Now, it appears that Kim and Kroy are making moves in their personal lives two years after initially filing to end their union.

Biermann has ditched the professional athlete life to take on a career in sales. The Superior Rigging and Erecting Co. in Atlanta lists Biermann as an employee in crane and rigging sales.

TMZ reported that Biermann has been working for the company since 2024, but he has been moving up the ranks since he got his foot in the door.

Zolciak took to Instagram this week to share a collage of images from the past few months. She explained that she moved into a new home and announced that two of her television shows premiered: "Got To Get Out" and "Plastic Surgery Rewind." 

"My twins graduated 5th grade!! Can’t believe I’ll have 3 in Middle School and Kj in High School.

"I spent time with friends. I spent time with my family. I’m forever grateful for each and every single day. So many exciting things happening and I can’t wait to share with you," she captioned her post.

To celebrate her 47th birthday in May, Zolciak shared a series of bikini photos on Instagram and explained that she "feels the best" she has in years.

"I want to say thank you for so much for all the birthday wishes and love I received yesterday. 

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"I'm forever grateful and blessed to have so many amazing humans in my life. 2025 has been incredible already. I can't believe I'm 47! Funny how old that seemed when I was 27! I feel the best I have in years and honestly, I had no idea what peace was until this past year," she captioned her post at the time.

Zolciak appears to have also rekindled her relationship with her parents post-separation from Biermann.

On July 21, Kim's daughter, Brielle, posted a picture to her Instagram story with her mom and her grandparents, Karen and Joe.

"Nana & poppy!!!!!!!!!" Brielle captioned the photo along with a heart emoji. "Been WAY too long!"

In 2017, Zolciak explained why she hadn't spoken to her parents in years. "I have not seen my parents in over six years.

"They recently just sold another 'story' to a tabloid, which is one of the reasons why I stopped communicating with them in the first place. I learned some people never change," she said on "The Daily Dish" at the time. 

During the interview, she explained that she never discouraged her oldest daughters from having a relationship with her grandparents.

"I will never discourage Brielle or Ariana or any of them to not have a relationship with their grandparents or whoever they choose to have a relationship with," she said at the time.

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