In Turkey, firefighters have been busy fighting numerous forest fires for days. The large fire on the edge of the coastal city of Izmir in particular caused problems for the emergency services; the strong wind there made the extinguishing work difficult.
The flames, which temporarily threatened residential areas in the Karsiyaka district, have now been pushed back. Since Thursday evening, almost 3,000 emergency services have been battling the flames on Mount Yamanlar on the edge of the coastal city.
A forest fire broke out again
Meanwhile, a forest fire broke out again late Saturday night in the Urla district of İzmir province. A resort with 440 homes was evacuated, provincial governor Süleyman Elban said, according to Anadolu news agency.
Apocalyptic scenes from Izmir:
According to Agriculture Minister Ibrahim Yumakli, there are currently eight active forest fires in Turkey. Last week, 131 fires broke out in agricultural or forest areas in cities such as Aydın, Bolu, Mugla and Manisa, the Civil Protection Authority said on Saturday on X.
According to Yumakli, 17 residential buildings were burned down near Izmir on Saturday night and 105 residential buildings and 44 work buildings were evacuated. According to the minister, 1,600 hectares of land in the coastal metropolis alone were destroyed by the flames. In total, almost 4,000 people in at least four cities and provinces of the country had to seek safety from the flames.
Seven suspects arrested
The cause of the fire is still unclear. According to the Ministry of the Interior, seven people have been detained and two arrested. They are suspected of being responsible for some of the fires.
Izmir and especially the nearby seaside resorts are popular holiday destinations. Turkey has been struggling with a heat wave and drought since the beginning of the summer. This can cause forest fires to spread more quickly. According to the Turkish Meteorological Directorate, July was the warmest in Turkey in 53 years. In the neighboring state of Greece, northeast of the capital Athens, a huge forest fire recently raged.
Source: Krone
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