As blazing flames proceed ravaging the southeastern Hatay and Mersin provinces and Çanakkale in Türkiye’s northwest, devoted groups have been dispatched to intervene and produce the fires underneath management which have been raging for the second day.
The fires, brought on by a prevalent warmth wave within the nation’s south and west, additionally pose a danger of accelerating the temperatures and triggering new blazes.
According to native media experiences, the fireplace that engulfed an unlimited space in Hatay’s Belen district began at round 2 p.m. native time (11 a.m. GMT) on Sunday when two people within the Soğukoluk neighborhood sparked the flames whereas making an attempt to clear reeds of their backyard.
Unfortunately, the fireplace shortly unfold into the encircling forest space. The residents of Mufti, Soğukoluk and Benlidere neighborhoods have been evacuated as the fireplace unfold quickly, fueled by sturdy winds.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya and Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı visited the fireplace space ravaged by hearth at evening and inspected the work on-site.
Yerlikaya addressed the press, highlighting {that a} judicial investigation has been initiated in opposition to the people who, as revealed by the gendarmerie’s efforts, have been discovered accountable for inflicting the fireplace.
“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 famous.
“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 residents have been evacuated from the dangerous areas, he mentioned: “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 sunshine of day, planes and different helicopters additionally participated within the air intervention, which continued with an evening imaginative and prescient helicopter. Some 450 personnel of the General Directorate of Forestry, civil servants in different public establishments and organizations, and the locals within the area proceed to work on the second day to extinguish the fireplace.
Yumaklı said that 19 fires broke out Sunday, 16 of which have been underneath management.
Simultaneously, groups tirelessly fight a wildfire by way of air and floor interventions in Mersin’s Gülnar district.
The hearth, which broke out in Gülnar’s Kavakoluğu neighborhood on Sunday, unfold to Korucuk, Çavuşlar and Tepe neighborhoods, pushed by sturdy winds. The response continued all through the evening, evacuating 373 houses, with 4 homes already diminished to ashes, as reported by the personal NTV broadcaster early Monday.
Widfire erupts in Çanakkale
In Çanakkale, a separate forest hearth erupted in Kızılkeçili village and swiftly unfold to Kemel and Yukarı Okçular villages. After greater than 20 hours of steady efforts, the fireplace stays uncontrolled.
Deputy Interior Minister Münir Karaloğlu and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Veysel Tiryaki visited the Çanakkale area to evaluate the scenario.
“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 mentioned.
Meanwhile, Karaloğlu emphasised that the nation faces an especially excessive hearth danger due to hovering air temperatures and low humidity, urging residents to train warning.
Later on Monday, a brand new collection of fires have been confirmed in southern Adana’s Karaisalı district and Şanliurfa within the southeast.
In a separate assertion additional on, Yumaklı confirmed that the forest hearth in Mersin’s Gülnar was managed. “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 newest experiences by Anadolu Agency (AA) indicated that the wildfire raging in Mezitli and Adana was additionally managed.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç famous that inside the framework of investigations initiated by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office relating to the forest fires that occurred between July 10-17, 2023, a complete of seven suspects have been recognized.
“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 mentioned.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
