For the third day in a row, forest fires have broken out in Turkey. Currently there are 4 main outbreaks, from which the fire has also spread to individual fronts.

In a statement, Turkey’s Agriculture and Forestry Minister, Ibrahim Yumakli, said that 342 serious fires have broken out across Turkey since Friday.

More specifically, according to Turkey’s Anadolu news agency, air and ground forces are constantly operating to extinguish forest fires in the Seferichisar regions, Menderes and Bukha in Izmir, in the Akhisar, Ahmetli, and Kula districts of Manisa, in the Suttsuler district of Isparta, and the central Adakia district of Hatay.

Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) helicopters are also supporting the suppression efforts.

Battle with the flames in Izmir

The fire, which broke out on June 29 in the Kuyutsak district of Menderes and the Menderes area, spread over a large area due to strong winds, and many settlements in the area were evacuated as a precautionary measure.

A fire broke out in a forest area in the Zafar district of the Bukha district of Smyrna for an unknown reason so far.

Following the alert, 2 aircraft, 2 helicopters, 6 water vehicles, 3 water supply vehicles, and 2 bulldozers belonging to the Smyrna Regional Forestry Directorate were dispatched to the area, trying to bring the fires under control.

Strong firefighting forces for the fourth day in Manisa

It is the fourth day of the forest fire that broke out on June 28 in the Akhisar district, and firefighting forces are continuing their efforts to bring the flames under control.

The work, supported by 2 night vision helicopters till this morning, is continuing with 3 planes, 7 helicopters, 24 water trucks, 19 fire trucks, 44 tankers, 28 construction machinery, and 713 personnel.

Many districts and settlements have been evacuated in all areas of Manisa, while in Ahmedli in particular, the Fire Brigade is battling fire fronts that are now threatening homes.

5 planes, 7 helicopters, 35 fire trucks, 8 firefighting teams, 23 tankers, and 185 firefighters are involved in the extinguishing efforts, who are also facing strong winds.

The fire in the Kula area, the fire that broke out last night, is also worrying, with 7 helicopters, 35 water trucks, 8 firefighting teams, 19 tankers, 10 construction machinery, and 240 firefighters on the scene. A suspect has been arrested for the fire there.

Battling the winds in Isparta

In Isparta, a fire has broken out in a forest area in the Shootsuler district for an unknown reason, but it is spreading fast due to the wind.

After being alerted, the Isparta Regional Forest Department and fire brigade teams were sent to the area as the fire threatened residential areas.

Thousands of firefighters are on duty in Hatay

Some residents of the neighborhood assisted in efforts to extinguish the fire by climbing on the roofs of their houses and pouring water with hoses while aerial and ground operations continued.

Extinguishing efforts, with the support of the gendarmerie and police riot suppression vehicles (TOMA), continue. At the same time, there are
9 aircraft and over 2,500 firefighters are on the scene, while 55 civilians are in the hospital with respiratory problems.

It should be noted that about 240 homes have been evacuated since yesterday.

Stating that they covered all the needs of the citizens, Masatlı said: “Our biggest disadvantage is the unstable wind movement. Sometimes it changes direction to the south, sometimes to the north, to the east, and sometimes to the west… We hope that we will be able to control the fire with our interventions from both land and wind.”