Aerial response to Dersim forest fire after 13 days

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Three of the four forest fires that erupted in Ovacık and Hozat districts of the southeastern Dersim province have been contained, the General Directorate of Forestry (OGM) has announced.

Two helicopters, one plane, two dozers and two graders have been deployed in Hozat to contain the ongoing fire, the directorate has said.

The fire is not posing a threat to residential areas and will be contained as soon as possible, according to the directorate.

As the fires have been continuing for 13 days, Dersim Mayor Mehmet Fatih Maçoğlu said multiple times that the OGM and the municipality were not allowed to enter fire areas due to the ongoing military operations.

Governor Mehmet Ali Özkan told bianet on Friday (August 27) that"a false perception is created on social media."

"We put out fires in one place and it starts in another place. It's not the same areas that burn all the time," he said.

About the prevention of the mayor and municipal officials from entering the fire areas, he said, "Our teams are working. It's not a place that people can go by walking." (RT/VK)