* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)
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The firefighting efforts have been going on across the country for seven days. According to the latest official statement released by Director General of Forestry Bekir Karacabey, of the 144 forest fires that broke out in Turkey in the last six days, 134 were taken under control.
Karacabey said that 16 water sprinklers, nine uncrewed aerial vehicles, 51 helicopters, one uncrewed helicopter, 805 water-tenders and water tankers and 5,200 personnel were intervening in the fires. The Director added that there were ongoing efforts to put out nine fires in total, namely two fires in Antalya, five fires in Muğla, one fire each in Adana, Isparta and Denizli.
Shortly after this statement was made, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli has said on Twitter that the fires in Adana and Denizli province have been taken under control. That being the case, 136 of the 144 fires in total are under control as of 1.30 pm today (August 3).
Firefighting efforts are ongoing in 8 different spots in 3 cities.
While eight people have lost their lives in the fires, thousands of animals have died, forests, agricultural fields and green houses have burned.
The villages and other residential areas threatened by fires have been evacuated. According to the European Forest Fires Information System, over 120,000 hectares of area have burned in Turkey in 2021.
Muğla
Milas and Bodrum fires
There are still efforts to put out the fires that broke out in forests in Muğla's Milas and Bodrum and spread to residential areas.
While the gendarmerie teams have evacuated the neighborhoods of Çökertme, Bozolan, Fesleğen, Gökbel and Türkevleri, the houses have become inhabitable due to the fires that have spread to residential areas. The teams are still fighting the flames in the area.
As the fire has spread to a wide area in the Yukarı Mazı and Aşağı Mazı neighborhoods as a result of the winds, the teams have also been intervening in the fires there. They are having difficulty especially because the directions of the winds are constantly changing.
While water is being carried to the area with water sprinklers and firefighting equipment from other provinces, the locals are also carrying water with tankers. The concrete mixers of some construction companies are also bringing water to the area to put out the fires.
While the flames have reached the Kissebükü Village in Bodrum, volunteers are making hard efforts to extinguish the fire.
Milas Mayor warns
Milas Mayor Muhammet Tokat has warned that the fire may threaten the thermal power plant in the area. Sharing information about the latest situation in the district amid raging fires, Tokat has said, "The fire has exceeded the critical point and spread to the side of housing estates."
Forest fires in Marmaris
There are also ongoing efforts to take the forest fires raging in Marmaris district in Muğla province under control.
In Hisarönü Neighborhood, as a result of the wind, the flames have spread from the forestland to houses and vehicles.
Both the constantly changing direction of the winds and intense smoke make it more difficult for the teams to intervene in the fire. Several water sprinklers are currently participating in the firefighting efforts.
Köyceğiz and Seydikemer fires
The teams are making efforts to take the fire in Köyceğiz district's Ağla Neighborhood under control. While the fire has spread to a wide area, there are now firefighting efforts both from land and air.
There are also ongoing efforts to take the forest fire in Seydikemer district's Çökek Neighborhood under control.
Antalya
Fire in Gündoğmuş
In Antalya province, the teams are still working to put out the forest fires in Gündoğmuş district. As the flames threaten the district center as well, the center of Gündoğmuş has been evacuated as a precautionary measure.
While the firefighting efforts are ceaselessly continuing in fire-hit areas, the fires have been partially taken under control.
Manavgat fire
As the fire in Manavgat district has spread, one neighborhood has been evacuated. With the first fire breaking out on July 28, the district is still ravaged by some fires which have not yet been extinguished. One neighborhood has been evacuated amid ongoing fires and firefighting efforts.
As the fire that hit the Beydiğin Neighborhood has spread towards the Kızıldağ Neighborhood, the citizens living in the latter have been warned to evict the neighborhood as a precautionary measure.
The people living in the neighborhood have been evacuated while the elders and sick people have been accomodated in the dormitories in the district by the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), which has also fed and taken away the street animals.
Fire in Isparta
In Isparta province, there are ongoing efforts to take the forest fire in Sütçüler district under control. The fire that broke out in the Çandır Village Yazılı Canyon Natural Park has spread quickly because of the wind.
While the teams worked all night to put out the fires in Çandır Village and Yıldız and Camii Neighborhoods with water sprinklers and fire trucks, there are still ongoing firefighting efforts from air.
Cooling-off efforts in Denizli
The cooling-off efforts are still ongoing in the forest land hit by fires in the Buldan district of Denizli province.
The fire that broke out near Türlübey Neighborhood last evening could be taken under control thanks to firefighting efforts that continued till morning.
While the fires have approached residential areas as well, it is seen that the forest areas have been damaged to a considerable extent.
In the area where the cooling-off efforts are still underway, the officials have started to work on the damage in the region
Fire in Adana
The stubble fire that broke out in Karaisalı district in Adana yesterday spread to the forestland in Bozcalar area. Minister Pakdemirli has announced that the fire has been taken under control as of the night.
Çukurova Mayor Soner Çetin has also announced that the forest fire that broke out in Küçükçınar Neighborhood has been taken under control.
Planes from Spain have arrived
On the other side, two firefighting planes, one transporter and 27 pilotes from Spain arrived in Turkey this morning. With this arrival, the three firefighting planes planned to be sent to Turkey as part of the rescEU program of the European Union (EU) have arrived in the country.
Setting off from Croatia, the Canadair-type plane arrived in the Antalya Gazipaşa Airport on Monday (August 2).
In a statement released by the European Commission a day before, it was announced that Turkey activated the Civil Protection Mechanism. It was indicated that the planes were a part of the rescEU program, which was launched in 2019 and aimed to protect civil values of Europe. (TP/SD)
