Forest fires break out in three more cities in southern Turkey

 (Photos: AA)

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Forest fires broke out in several locations in Turkey's southern provinces of Adana and Osmaniye yesterday (July 28).

In Adana, five villages in Kozan district have been evacuated as a precaution as the fire is growing due to the strong wind, Governor Süleyman Elban told reporters.

Many people in Adana currently stay in summer houses in highlands, which are in the fire zone, the governor noted. "The first thing we did was to completely evacuate the citizens. We have a serious difficulty because its summer, the highland season."

"As we have evacuated our citizens, our efforts to prevent the fire from growing ... are underway. Currently, the speed of the wind is over 70 kilometers per hour," said the governor.

Separate fires that broke out yesterday in the city's Aladağ, Çukurova and Sarıçam districts are continuing.

Two forest fires also started Osmaniye's central district and Kadirli district, where many villagers were evacuated. Growing due to strong winds, the fire may threaten the Karatepe Arslantaş National Park, according to reports.

In Mersin, hundreds of people have been evacuated due to forest fires in Aydıncık and Bozyazı districts.

On July 27, forest fires started simultaneously in four locations in Manavgat, Antalya. While these fires has been taken under control, another fire in the city's Akseki district is continuing. (TP/VK)