Marmaris wildfires: Dozens of homes evacuated as blazes spread

Photos: Mehmet Oktay/Twitter

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Forest fires in the sea resort of Marmaris in the Muğla province have been continuing for two days.

The fires that broke out near the Amazon Bay have spread to the Otluk Bay area and are now only four kilometers away from the residential areas.

In the Bördübet and Değirmenyanı areas, the authorities have evacuated 30 houses.

Firefighters have begun to wet the trees near the residential areas.

Fires continue in four separate locations, Marmaris Mayor Mehmet Oktay said earlier today.

According to unofficial estimates, some 1,028 hectares have been razed in two days, according to Muğla Metropolitan Mayor Osman Gürün.

They had asked for firefighting helicopters with night vision equipment but had been told that there was no such equipment in the inventory, the mayor previously said on Twitter.

Currently, nearly 1,400 firefighters have 338 vehicles, 35 earth movers, 20 helicopters and 14 planes at their disposal, according to the Disaster And Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).

At the start of the month, 17 forest fires had occurred in a week in Muğla, which was one of the two hardest-hit provinces in last year's massive wildfires. (TY/VK)