Fight against forest fires in Turkiye underway

By News Center

The fight against forest fires in the western and southern regions of Turkiye is ongoing. Air and land interventions continued to the fire that started the previous day in the Belen district of Hatay. 7 aircraft, 12 helicopters, 58 water sprinklers, 7 construction equipment, and 320 personnel worked in the extinguishing works. Two people believed to have caused the fire were detained. In the forest fire in Kemel village, Çanakkale was evacuated as a precaution. The fire was responded to with 13 helicopters, 5 aircraft, 19 water supply vehicles, and dozers. The fires in Mersin, Adana, Mu?la, and ?anl?urfa were brought under control. It was determined that a person named M.D., who was detained in the investigation in Milas, started the fire by throwing a torpedo from inside the vehicle.

While the western and southern provinces of Turkiye are experiencing the hottest days of summer, they are struggling with forest fires. The air and land response of the teams to the forest fire that started the previous day in the Belen district of Hatay continued yesterday. The intervention of the teams from the land to the fire in the forest area in the Sogukoluk Neighborhood continued throughout the night. With the first light of the morning, the firefighting plane and helicopter started to support the work.

2 person detained

A total of 7 aircraft, 12 helicopters, 58 water sprinklers, and 7 construction equipment were employed by 320 personnel. Crews are trying to control the flames with air and ground interventions. The fire, which was lit by 2 people in Armutçuk locality to clear the reeds in their garden, spread to the forest yesterday, and citizens in the Müftüler, Sogukoluk and Benlidere neighborhoods were evacuated as a precaution measures due to the fire. Two people who caused the fire were taken into custody. Minister of Interior Ali Yerlikaya and Minister of Agriculture and Forestry ?brahim Yumakl? examined the forest fire area in the Belen district of Hatay and received information from the authorities.

7 houses burned

Stating that the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry ?brahim Yumakl? personally followed the fire in the center from the moment the fire was reported at 13.57 in Belen, Yerlikaya said that they also supported the works including all elements and the armed forces. Minister Yerlikaya pointed out that citizens in Belen's Mufti, Sogukoluk, and Benlidere neighborhoods were evacuated starting from the risky areas and said, "We have to say with sadness that we have 7 houses on fire, 4 vehicles are damaged." Stating that a fire broke out in Mersin's Gülnar district shortly after this fire, Yerlikaya stated that 25 houses were evacuated as a precaution. Yerlikaya said, "Unfortunately, 5 houses burned down". Emphasizing the need to be very sensitive to meteorological warnings, Yerlikaya pointed out that the risk of forest fire increases in the environment where the humidity drops.

Villages evacuated in Çanakkele

The fire, which started at 16.31 the previous day near K?z?lkeçili village in Çanakkale, continues. The intervention to the flames with helicopters and planes intensified at sunrise. Efforts are being made to put out the flames with 13 helicopters and 5 planes from the air, 60 water sprinklers, 19 water supply vehicles, dozers, and many support teams from the land. Following the Kemel, Kur?unlu, and Dörtyol villages, the residents of Kayadere, I??klar, and Marshal Fevzi Çakmak villages and Damyeri also decided to be evacuated as a precautionary measure due to the approaching flames. The Ministry of National Defense announced that 18 helicopters and 2 aircraft belonging to the Turkish Armed Forces also supported the efforts to extinguish forest fires that occurred one after another in Hatay, Mu?la, Osmaniye, and Çanakkale.

They burned with torpedoes!

The suspect, who was detained in connection with the fire in the forest area on the way to Milas-Bodrum Airport, was sent to prison. A special team was formed by the gendarmerie teams under the coordination of the Milas Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the fire that broke out in the forest area at the junction leading to the airport on July 14 for an undetermined reason and was extinguished after 6 hours of work by the teams. As part of the investigation, the teams determined that M.D. started the fire by throwing a torpedo from inside the vehicle, and detained the suspect in an operation at his residence in the Koru Mahallesi. The torpedo and its parts were seized during the search conducted in the suspect's residence and in the garden of his house. The suspect, who was transferred to the courthouse after the deposition at the gendarmerie, was arrested by the criminal judgeship of peace. On the other hand, it was learned that the suspect had 18 different criminal records for various crimes. 160 hectares of land was destroyed in the fire.

Adana

The forest fire in Adana's Karaisal? district was intervened by air and land. A fire broke out in the countryside of Kelebek yesterday at noon for an undetermined reason. Upon the notice, the teams of the Regional Directorate of Forestry were directed to the area. It was brought under control with a 3-hour study. After the intervention from the air and land, the teams started cooling work.

Mersin

The forest fire in Mersin's Gülnar district was brought under control. The forest fire, which broke out at around 18.00 the previous day in the Kavakolu?u District, was extinguished at around 13.00 yesterday. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry ?brahim Yumakl? said, “The forest fire in Mersin, Gülnar has been brought under control. Our cooling work continues. Our efforts to control the fires in Hatay Belen, Çanakkale, Adana Karaisal?, and Mersin Mezitli continue uninterruptedly. It has been learned that 4 houses have been damaged so far.

Urfa

The forest fire that broke out yesterday in ?anl?urfa was extinguished. Crews put the fire under control in about 2 hours. Cooling works have been started in the region.

Mugla

The fire, which broke out in the restaurant in the Datça district of Mu?la and spread to the forest area, was brought under control. 1 hectare of agricultural, scrub, and forest areas were damaged in the fire.