Hundreds of homes have been evacuated as wildfires continue to threaten the provinces of Antalya, Adana and Mersin in southern Turkey. Fire crews have been battling the flames on the ground since last night, whilst aerial operations resumed after dawn. Meanwhile, in the forest fire that broke out in the district of Aksu, in Antalya, one person died from smoke inhalation.
On Tuesday 8 September, two forest fires broke out, for reasons as yet unknown, in the Kozan district of the Turkish province of Adana. Fire crews managed to bring the flames under control in the Dağılcak area, located in the Düzağaç neighbourhood, whilst the fire in the Enizçakırı neighbourhood spread, driven by the wind, towards other neighbourhoods and districts.
Over 700 firefighters are battling the blaze in Adana
Efforts are currently continuing to put out the fire which broke out yesterday in the Enizçakırı neighbourhood of Kozan and has spread to forested areas in several neighbourhoods in the districts of Aladağ and İmamoğlu. According to the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet, 173 vehicles and 717 firefighters are involved in the operation, along with 2 firefighting aircraft, 9 helicopters, 58 water tankers and 8 water cannon riot control vehicles (TOMA).
The governor of Adana, Mustafa Yavuz, stated in a social media post that aerial and ground teams are working tirelessly to bring the fire under control. “As part of the precautionary evacuations, a total of 835 residents from 285 homes in the districts of Kozan, İmamoğlu and Aladağ have been moved to safe areas,” he said.
The wildfire, which spread as far as the Aladağ district in Adana, completely destroyed 19 homes in the Dailer neighbourhood. As dawn broke, aerial footage showed the devastation caused by the flames.
“We watched as our house crackled and burned”
Durdu Yaman, whose home was destroyed by the fire, recounted: “We watched from a distance, praying to God. I have cows and I said, ‘I’m going to get my cows out of there’, but I couldn’t. But thank God nothing happened to my cows. I threw myself into the water of the reservoir. We watched as our house crackled and burned”.
Hamza Ördek, another of those affected, said: “We left the house, we couldn’t take anything with us. We left everything behind. We only managed to get one car out. Our hearts are broken; we have nowhere to stay, we don’t know what we’re going to do. When I saw my house, I broke down; everything had burnt down, it was completely destroyed”.
Fadime Daşdemir, a 74-year-old woman whose house was also destroyed, explained: “I rang my children and they told me: ‘Get yourselves to safety, we’re on our way’. We got into a car we found in the village and drove down to the reservoir. When I saw my house afterwards, my world came crashing down. We have nothing left. Thank God we survived.”
Several fires in Antalya and Mersin, almost under control
The General Directorate of Forestry announced in the last few hours that the fires in Kumluca, Antalya, and Bozyazı, Mersin, have been largely brought under control. “We have reduced the intensity of the fire that started in a non-forested area of Aksu, Antalya. We are continuing to tackle the fire still burning in Kozan, Adana from both the air and the ground. Our teams are on the ground with all available resources to bring the remaining active fires under control as soon as possible,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, the intensity of the forest fire in the Aksu district of Antalya, which affected eight people and destroyed numerous houses and barns, has been reduced. Residents of the neighbourhoods threatened by the flames for three days tried to help with the fire-fighting efforts by using tractors, tankers and concrete mixers to transport water they had paid for themselves to fill the reservoir from which helicopters were collecting water, thereby supporting the fire-fighting teams.
The Aksu wildfire has been burning for three days, since Monday 7th, when it broke out at around 4.30 pm in the Karaöz neighbourhood. The fire, which started in a dense pine forest, spread rapidly due to the wind. Forestry services and firefighters intervened by land and air as the flames advanced, coming dangerously close to residential areas.
The intensity of the fire, which affected eight people and destroyed numerous homes and barns, subsided yesterday afternoon. The deployment of helicopters and aeroplanes was suspended at dusk, although ground crews continued to work until dawn. In the woodland area between the neighbourhoods of Karaöz and Kızıllı, the flames have flared up again due to the wind, whilst crews work to bring the wildfire fully under control.
Unfortunately, a local resident who had been taking part in the fire-fighting efforts – which have been ongoing for three days in the Aksu district – suffered a heart attack. Hasan Kahya, a resident of the Yeşilkaraman neighbourhood, suddenly felt unwell whilst helping the teams battling the flames, which were closing in on his home. He was taken by ambulance to hospital, but could not be saved despite the efforts of the medical staff.
The fire in Kumluca, Antalya, has mobilised nearly 400 personnel
With regard to the Kumluca fire, which broke out yesterday at around 2.30 pm and spread rapidly, fuelled by strong winds, it has been partially brought under control following interventions from the air and on the ground. To extinguish the flames, which affected the neighbourhoods of Toptaş and Güzören, 5 aircraft, 7 helicopters, 31 water tankers, 13 construction vehicles, 45 vehicles (including a TOMA) and 392 firefighters were deployed.
Weather conditions remain a major concern in the fight against the wildfires still burning in Turkey. Forecasts indicate that temperatures will remain high and humidity low over the coming days, creating conditions favourable for the spread of the fire. In Kozan (Adana), temperatures have exceeded 45 degrees, although the wind has temporarily died down; in Aksu (Antalya), the temperature currently exceeds 34 degrees and humidity stands at around 45 per cent, but both conditions are expected to worsen over the coming days, favouring the spread of the fire.
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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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