Wildfires continue to affect southern and western Turkey on 29 July, with major active blazes in the provinces of Antalya and Muğla, whilst firefighting teams are also tackling new fires that have broken out in Adıyaman and Manisa.
Numerous wildfires are still burning in the districts of Kaş in Antalya, Seydikemer in Muğla, Armutlu in Yalova, Domaniç in Kütahya, Ayvacık in Çanakkale, and Gömeç and Edremit in Balıkesir, to name but a few. In the district of Kaş in Antalya, efforts to extinguish the forest fire that broke out in the early hours of yesterday morning in the Üzümlü neighbourhood are continuing for the second consecutive day; operations are taking place in an area of rugged terrain, with steep slopes and rocky areas, where ground crews have been working intensively throughout the night despite the difficult conditions in the area, as reported by the Anatolia news agency.
To bring the flames under control, firefighters and teams comprising 26 fire engines, 9 water supply vehicles, 5 first-response vehicles and 155 technicians and personnel have been deployed. At first light, helicopters and aeroplanes joined the operations, which are continuing both from the air and on the ground.
Firefighting teams battle the blaze in Muğla
Firefighting efforts are also continuing in the Seydikemer district of Muğla province, on the southern Aegean coast, where the fire is currently considered one of the most serious; there, the fire started in an agricultural area of the Bayır neighbourhood and, fuelled by the wind, ended up spreading into a forested area. The authorities reported that the operation has mobilised 5 aircraft, 12 helicopters, 35 fire engines, 8 first-response vehicles, 22 water tankers, 14 construction machines, 44 service vehicles, 2 ambulances and a total of 373 personnel.
As a precautionary measure, 65 residents from 43 homes were evacuated. In addition, patients in the intensive care and palliative care units at Seydikemer State Hospital, located approximately 2.5 kilometres from the area affected by the fire, were also evacuated as a precaution. Furthermore, the Antalya–Seydikemer road remains closed to traffic due to the fire and the thick smoke affecting the area.
The governor of Muğla, İdris Akbıyık, stated that five wildfires had been reported in different parts of the province, four of which have now been brought under control, whilst efforts to extinguish the one in Seydikemer are continuing. He explained that a total of 741 personnel are involved, and that 5 aeroplanes, 18 helicopters, 88 fire engines, 3 first-response vehicles, 20 water tankers, 23 construction machines, 63 vehicles, 6 TOMA riot control vehicles and 8 ambulances are being deployed.
Furthermore, “121 homes and 202 residents, as well as Seydikemer State Hospital, have been temporarily evacuated as a precautionary measure,” he stated. The fire is still active after burning for eight hours, according to the latest update this afternoon.
Wildfires in Balıkesir, Yalova, Manisa, Kütahya, Çanakkale and Bilecik
Meanwhile, a forest fire that broke out in Fethiye, also in the Aegean province of Muğla, was extinguished following the intervention of aerial and ground resources. The fire started for as yet unknown reasons in a wooded area of the Çiftlik neighbourhood and was tackled by two aeroplanes, two helicopters, numerous fire engines and firefighters.
Where the forest fires are still burning is in the province of Balıkesir, in north-western Türkiye, where firefighting teams are continuing to work from the air and on the ground to bring under control the fires that have broken out in forested areas and olive groves in the districts of Gömeç and Edremit. As a precautionary measure, some summer homes have been evacuated.
Another wildfire remains active in the district of Armutlu, in the province of Yalova, near the town of Kapaklı, where firefighting operations are being carried out with the support of 3 helicopters and 15 fire engines. Meanwhile, in the western province of Manisa, firefighters battled the flames all night in an area of olive groves and scrubland in the district of Kula; the wildfire, fanned by the wind, appeared to be under control this morning.
Efforts are also continuing to bring under control the forest fire that broke out in the Domaniç district of Kütahya, after a blaze – the cause of which is still under investigation – started in a field in the Beşiktepe area, near the village of Güney, and spread to the forest. Meanwhile, fire crews are also battling the flames in the Ayvacık district of Çanakkale, whilst the wildfire that broke out in an agricultural area of the Pazaryeri district in the Turkish province of Bilecik, in north-western Turkey, has been brought under control in recent hours 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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