A forest fire that broke out in the tourist district of Fethiye, on the south-west coast of Turkey, remains active due to windy and dry weather conditions and high temperatures. The fire, which started near a residential area, continues to be tackled from the air and on the ground, whilst several homes have been engulfed by the flames and explosions have also been heard in some areas. As the fire advanced towards inhabited areas, gendarmerie teams have evacuated dozens of people from the area.
The fire started at around 12.30 pm local time (11.30 am CET) in a wooded area near the village of Gökçeovacık, located in the Fethiye district of the province of Muğla, on the Aegean coast. After the alert was received, personnel from the General Directorate of Forestry and the fire service were dispatched to the scene; the flames, which originated near several homes, were fanned by the wind and the fire spread rapidly over a wide area. Teams are continuing to work throughout the night, both from the air and on the ground, to extinguish the fire, according to the Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet.
Although five helicopters, three aeroplanes, 15 fire engines, seven water tankers, three bulldozers and 130 firefighters are involved in the fire-fighting efforts, the flames quickly reached the neighbourhood of İnlice precisely because of the strong winds, so, as a precautionary measure, around ten homes have been evacuated, and initial assessments suggest that at least four buildings have been damaged. Several Turkish media outlets have confirmed that some houses were engulfed by the flames and that explosions were even heard in certain areas.
The mayor of the Muğla Metropolitan Municipality, Ahmet Aras, visited the affected area to closely monitor operations on the ground and told the media that “the fire, which started in Gökçeovacık, is currently spreading towards the İnlice neighbourhood. All teams are on the ground. Ground and aerial units from the General Directorate of Forestry, as well as the fire brigade, are fighting the fire. Together, we are doing everything we can to bring the fire under control and prevent it from reaching the İnlice neighbourhood”.
Wind, heat and dry conditions are fuelling the spread of the fire
“According to initial assessments, it is believed that the fire may have been caused by stubble burning. “Given these weather conditions, these temperatures and such a dry environment, our citizens must exercise extreme caution,” said the mayor. “Although some fires are caused by high-voltage power lines or natural causes, these account for a very small proportion; the biggest problem is human error. There are those who think: ‘Nothing will happen, I’ll keep an eye on it’. But, as you can see, the wind, temperature and humidity mean that right now all conditions are favouring the spread of the fire in our region,” warned Aras, who also added that “Nowadays, forest fires can turn into disasters that are very difficult to reverse. Because even the smallest spark could destroy the entire area.”
According to the latest information released by the General Directorate of Forests, the intensity of the fire still burning in Fethiye has decreased in recent hours and efforts are currently continuing to bring it fully under control. Meanwhile, other forest fires that broke out in western Turkey have been brought under control, including the one that also broke out around midday in the Çamlıca neighbourhood, in the Kepez district (Antalya), and another fire in a grassland area in the province of Afyonkarahisar, which was extinguished thanks to ground and air operations.
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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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