Forest fire in Milas: Flames reach thermal plant, evacuation begins

* Photos: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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The forest fire in Milas district of Muğla has passed over the wire fence of the Kemerköy Thermal Power Plant. The personnel of the plant as well as the inflammable and explosive materials have been evacuated.

Milas Mayor Muhammet Tokat has posted a video showing that the flames have spread to the thermal power plant. Mayor Tokat has briefly tweeted, "The flames have entered the Thermal Plant... The plant is now being completely evacuated and sirens are wailing."

Alevler Termik Santrale girdi... Santral şu an tamamen boşaltılıyor ve şimdi sirenler çalıyor... pic.twitter.com/pWBn4bmQPh

— Av. Muhammet Tokat (@MuhammetTokat48) August 4, 2021

While the wind in the region has made it difficult to intervene in the fire, security measures have been taken around the thermal plant.

People in the region evacuated by ships

The Ministry of National Defense has announced that after the forest fire spread to the Kemerköy Thermal Power Plant in Milas, the people in the region have been evacuated to safer places by ships.

In a statement on its Twitter account, the Ministry of Defense has briefly said, "As the forest fire in Muğla's Milas district came closer to the thermal power plant, our citizens who gathered in the dock are being evacuated to safe places by the landing ships of our Naval Forces."

Muğla'nın Milas ilçesindeki orman yangınının bölgedeki termik santraline yaklaşması üzerine, iskelede toplanan vatandaşlarımız Deniz Kuvvetleri Komutanlığımıza ait çıkarma gemilerimizle emniyetli bölgelere tahliye ediliyor. #MSB #TSK pic.twitter.com/KDR5LVfDaO

— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) August 4, 2021

'Hydrogen tanks degassed'

Speaking to Halk TV about the Kemerköy Thermal Power Plant, Muğla Metropolitan Mayor Osman Gürün has announced that the hydrogen tanks in the plant have been degassed, adding that if the fire reaches the power plant, they do not expect an explosion to happen. (KÖ/SD)