As blazing flames continue ravaging the southeastern Hatay and Mersin provinces and Çanakkale in Türkiye’s northwest, dedicated teams have been dispatched to intervene and bring the fires under control that have been raging for the second day.
The fires, caused by a prevalent heat wave in the country’s south and west, also pose a risk of increasing the temperatures and triggering new blazes.
According to local media reports, the fire that engulfed a vast area in Hatay’s Belen district started at around 2 p.m. local time (11 a.m. GMT) on Sunday when two individuals in the Soğukoluk neighborhood sparked the flames while attempting to clear reeds in their garden.
Unfortunately, the fire quickly spread into the surrounding forest area. The residents of Mufti, Soğukoluk and Benlidere neighborhoods were evacuated as the fire spread rapidly, fueled by strong winds.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya and Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı visited the fire area ravaged by fire at night and inspected the work on-site.
Yerlikaya addressed the press, highlighting that a judicial investigation has been initiated against the individuals who, as revealed by the gendarmerie’s efforts, were found responsible for causing the fire.
“In a state of mobilization, all relevant institutions and organizations promptly arrived at the scene. We are aware of past incidents of wildfires and the challenges they present. Geographically, this area is prone to strong winds,” Yerlikaya noted.
“Therefore, tremendous efforts are being made to prevent the fire from spreading further. We have been closely monitoring the situation, including aerial footage captured by armed drones. We hope that the energy of this fire, which has slightly diminished, will be extinguished as soon as possible. A significant endeavor is underway in this direction,” he added.
Pointing out that the citizens have been evacuated from the risky areas, he said: “We have to say with sadness that seven houses and four vehicles are damaged. Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) will initiate the necessary work on these as of this morning.”
With the light of day, planes and other helicopters also participated in the air intervention, which continued with a night vision helicopter. Some 450 personnel of the General Directorate of Forestry, civil servants in other public institutions and organizations, and the locals in the region continue to work on the second day to extinguish the fire.
Yumaklı stated that 19 fires broke out Sunday, 16 of which were under control.
Simultaneously, teams tirelessly combat a wildfire through air and ground interventions in Mersin’s Gülnar district.
The fire, which broke out in Gülnar’s Kavakoluğu neighborhood on Sunday, spread to Korucuk, Çavuşlar and Tepe neighborhoods, driven by strong winds. The response continued throughout the night, evacuating 373 homes, with four houses already reduced to ashes, as reported by the private NTV broadcaster early Monday.
In Çanakkale, a separate forest fire erupted in Kızılkeçili village and swiftly spread to Kemel and Yukarı Okçular villages. After more than 20 hours of continuous efforts, the fire remains uncontrolled.
Deputy Interior Minister Münir Karaloğlu and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Veysel Tiryaki visited the Çanakkale region to assess the situation.
“We are in the fire zone in Çanakkale with our Deputy Minister of Interior Münir Karaloğlu. The fire broke out at 4:31 p.m. The first response came after 11 minutes with five planes and seven helicopters. Unfortunately, it couldn’t be taken under control as of evening hours,” Tiryaki said.
Meanwhile, Karaloğlu emphasized that the country faces an extremely high fire risk because of soaring air temperatures and low humidity, urging citizens to exercise caution.
Later on Monday, a new series of fires were confirmed in southern Adana’s Karaisalı district and Şanliurfa in the southeast.
In a separate statement further on, Yumaklı confirmed that the forest fire in Mersin’s Gülnar was controlled. “Our cooling work continues. Our efforts to control the fires in Hatay’s Belen, Çanakkale, Adana’s Karaisalı and Mersin’s Mezitli continue uninterruptedly,” he wrote on Twitter.
The latest reports by Anadolu Agency (AA) indicated that the wildfire raging in Mezitli and Adana was also controlled.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç noted that within the framework of investigations initiated by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding the forest fires that occurred between July 10-17, 2023, a total of seven suspects were identified.
“Two suspects were arrested, one in Fethiye and another in Milas; a judicial control decision was made for another two suspects in Izmir’s Urla, while two suspects were detained in Hatay’s Belen, and the investigation continues against a suspect in Manavgat,” he said.
