Thousands of people have had to be evacuated because of the forest fires currently raging in the southern Turkey’s provinces of Mersin and Hatay, where fire-fighting teams, local residents, volunteers and personnel from other provinces are currently trying to contain the fires in the midst of a persistent drought.
According to Turkish media reports in recent hours, the fire continues to burn fiercely in the Silifke district of Mersin province, on Turkey’s southern coast; the fire, which started yesterday in an area of scrubland, spread rapidly, driven by the wind, to a nearby forest.
Nearly 200 people were evacuated from six towns and five villages in the region affected by the wildfire, which also forced traffic to be cut off on a nearby motorway, forcing drivers to take alternative routes. Firefighting teams supported by volunteers are trying to contain the fires in Mersin, which are burning on three different fronts, while personnel from several nearby provinces – Adana, Osmaniye, Hatay, Konya and Karaman – joined the firefighting efforts today.
More than 1,000 people evacuated in Hatay
In another southern Turkish province, Hatay, a forest fire that broke out also yesterday in the Hassa district has already forced the evacuation of at least 1,115 people from the villages of Yukarıbucak and Bademli due to their proximity to the fire, being accommodated in temporary shelters.
Teams from the Regional Forestry Directorate, Hatay Metropolitan Municipality and the Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) are involved in the firefighting efforts with a total of 624 personnel supported by 271 vehicles, five helicopters and two aircraft, but fighting the blaze is being extremely difficult by the rugged terrain, forcing the use of heavy machinery to open access routes. As in Mersin, teams arriving today from other nearby provinces of Turkey have joined the firefighting efforts in recent hours.
Meanwhile, the fire that broke out on 12 August in Çanakkale (northwest Turkey), in the Kepez district, and which spread with force due to the strong winds forcing the evacuation of more than 2,000 people by land and sea, was finally brought under control yesterday, with the cooling efforts continuing today. Aerial images taken by a drone showed the extent of the destruction caused by the wildfire, which affected agricultural and forest areas.
Turkey remains on high alert for the risk of forest fires, fuelled by high temperatures, which have made July the hottest month since records began 55 years ago. Just last month saw the highest temperature in Turkey’s history – 55.5°C – recorded in the southeastern Anatolian province of Şırnak. Since 1 June, wildfires have destroyed more than 400 houses in Turkey and killed 18 people, including 10 forestry workers and rescuers who were trapped by the blaze.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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