Firefighters battled wildfires in southwestern Turkey from land and air on Thursday, as hopes for the flames to be quenched after they had spread again due to high temperatures and windy conditions. Scenes of the burning forest near the Aegean resort in Marmaris have caused fears of recurrence of last year’s fires that destroyed tens of thousands of hectares (acres) across the region.
Disaster Pictures show smoke billowing from the hills and water trucks assisting firefighters as the fire spreads to a remote forest. Helicopters and planes dropped water into the blaze all day on Wednesday and authorities said they would be evacuated on Thursday after a night stand. The cause of the fire, which started at 8 p.m. (1700 GMT) Tuesday, is unclear.
The Minister of Forestry, Vahit Kirisci, said on Wednesday that the fire trun into disaster was under control but later that it had spread again, fueled by wind and hot weather. About 150 people from 51 houses were evacuated as a precautionary measure, he said, adding that about 2,600 people were working to contain the blaze. Turkish forestry authorities said 27 helicopters and 14 planes would be involved in preventing the blaze on Thursday. Climate change is making heat wave worse and worse, say scientists.
Last disaster in summer’s wildfires, most of which were near Marmaris, have been the worst in Turkey in history, a European Union observer said last year, adding that the Mediterranean had become a hotbed of wildfires. The government of President Tayyip Erdogan was criticized for not preparing to fight the fire last year. It replied that wildfires were the worst in Turkish history. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), said on Wednesday that the government had “failed” and had not prepared a fire since last year. They will blame the wind and not them in this disaster ” he said.
