TEMA Foundation released a statement, saying that at least 1462 forests blazes were reported in July 2013. “3194 hectares of land has been affected,” the report cited.
It stated that blazes roared in vegetation (on 1170 hectares) as well as in hills (on 2024 hectares).
In the past few days, an average of 15-25 blazes were reported daily. In Turkey, 2017 forest blazes occur in Turkey, affecting an average of 8400 hectares annually. An average of 50 million liras (roughly 20 million euros) is required to rehabilitate the affected areas.
98 percent related to human fault
How do blazes roar?
76 percent of forest blazes are caused due to human abuses such as picnic fire, cigarettes, trash, shepherd or hunter fire and lack of precautions. The percentage rises to 90 including unknown reasons. Only 8 percent of all forest blazes are caused deliberate purposes.
Millions of animals affected
What are the consequences?
Forest blazes are not only about the destruction of trees. It also affects millions of insects, birds, mammals, reptiles and other species. It also account to the degeneration of natural habitat and damage in forest ecosystems.
Soil structure damage
Other damages occur in the soil. The upper layer of soil houses microbial organism that give the earth its fertility and renewal. While blazes fundamentally affect this layer, it annihilates hundreds of useful organisms and damage forest ecosystems.
Another harmful effect of forest blazes is the burning of humus - the organic matter that held soil together. Crumbled into little pieces, the soil turns into a more fragile and sensitive texture. This phenomenon leads to erosion in the lack of adequate plantation.
First intervention time from 40 to 18 minutes
The statement also said that alerting forest blazes was a crucial part of fight against forest fires. TEMA urged every witness to alert officials at 177, the free hot dial number. In 2002, the average timing for first intervention to forest blazes marked 40 minutes. The report cited that the timing improved to 18 minutes in the past years. (NV/BM)
* Click here to read the original article in Turkish.