Fire breaks out on set of historical drama on İstanbul island, killing crew member

A fire broke out on the set of the television series Portrait of a Scandalous Family (Şakir Paşa Ailesi: Mucizeler ve Skandallar) in a historic mansion on İstanbul’s Büyükada island, resulting in the death of a crew member, according to media reports.

The fire, which reportedly began in an upstairs room of the mansion in Nizam neighborhood, was initially tackled by local residents before fire crews arrived at the scene. The blaze was later brought under control.

According to the Büyükada-based media outlet Ada Gazetesi, one person, the show's production manager, died in the incident. Initial findings suggest that he suffered a heart attack due to smoke inhalation, Birsen Altuntaş, an entertainment journalist, reported on her website. The body was transferred to the Büyükada Lütfü Kırdar Training and Research Hospital for autopsy.

The DİSK Cinema Workers' Union (Sine-Sen) identified the deceased as Serkan Taki, 43, one of their members.

That filming was suspended following the incident and the cast was sent home, according to Altuntaş. 

The İstanbul Fire Department stated in its preliminary report that the fire was likely electrical in origin, though the exact cause has not yet been confirmed. The set, which spanned an area of 1,200 square meters, was nearly completely destroyed, causing substantial financial loss around 50 million Turkish liras (~1.3 million US dollars), Medyascope reported, citing industry sources.

This is the second fire incident associated with the production. A previous blaze had destroyed a villa set built on a soundstage in İstanbul’s Kartal district.

The series, Şakir Paşa Ailesi: Mucizeler ve Skandallar, is a historical drama centered around the prominent Şakir Paşa family in the early 20th century. The show portrays the lives and legacies of notable family members such as author Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı, known as the Halikarnas Balıkçısı, modernist painter Fahrelnisa Zeid, printmaking pioneer Aliye Berger, and ceramic artist Füreya Koral. (VK)