Forest fires raging across Turkey for 10 days: 13 fires continue in 6 cities

* Anadolu Agency (AA)

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Forest fires have been raging across Turkey, especially in southern provinces such as Muğla and Antalya, in the last 10 days. According to the latest statement of Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli, 13 fires are still continuing in six provinces of the country.

While 191 fires that broke out in 44 provinces have been taken under control, eight people, one in Muğla and seven in Antalya, have lost their lives, along with several other losses of animals' lives since July 28.

There are now ongoing efforts to extinguish the ongoing 13 fires, namely two fires in Antalya, seven fires in Muğla and one fire each in the southern provinces of Aydın, Adana, Denizli and Isparta.

In a statement about the raging fires in Milas district, Milas Mayor Muhammet Tokat has tweeted, "The fire has passed Akçakaya and reached Gürceğiz. The Bayır Neighborhood is being evacuated. The fire has come to the point of threatening the high-voltage lines. If the fire reaches this area, electricity to Milas and Bodrum could be cut. The fire is moving towards the north, towards the Yenikçy Thermal Power Plant."

The Mayor has also shared a video of the fire:

00.43 Bayır
Bayır mahallemizdeyiz. Alevler köye yaklaşıyor. Ne yazık ki karşıda Gürceğiz alevler içinde. #MilasYaniyor pic.twitter.com/qYcpWAyVmi

— Av. Muhammet Tokat (@MuhammetTokat48) August 5, 2021

As the forest fire has spread in Muğla's Köyceğiz, one neighborhood has been evacuated. The fire that broke out in a forest area in the Ağla neighborhood spread to the surrounding areas in a short time. There are now efforts to put out the fire from both land and air.

The teams are having difficulty putting out the fire due to the wind and especially in the places where there is no access by land. (EMK/SD)