Wildfires continue to ravage Turkey amid heatwave

Aftermath of the fire in Tekirdağ (Photos: AA)

As Turkey grapples with a heatwave, forest fires continue to break out across the country.

While the fires in northwestern Tekirdağ and southern Hatay provinces have been successfully contained, the blazes in Çanakkale and Diyarbakır persist, prompting heightened efforts to bring them under control.

In response to the escalating fire risk, several provinces had imposed restrictions on accessing forested areas from late June until the autumn months.

In Çanakkale, northwestern Turkey, a team of firefighters, supported by helicopters and planes, intensified their battle against the fire that ignited near the village of Kızılkeçili. Multiple aircraft, helicopters,fire trucks, heavy machinery, and hundreds of personnel are working to extinguish the flames that have been raging for nearly two days. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway. Çanakkale

Meanwhile, in Malkara district of Tekirdağ, a forest fire that erupted yesterday in the Deveciköy Kuştepe area was finally subdued after a 13-hour struggle. It is believed that the fire originated from a hay baling machine. Aerial resources, including helicopters and aircraft, also played a role in the firefighting operations.

In Belen district, Hatay, firefighting teams continue their relentless efforts to combat a forest fire that erupted on Sunday afternoon. The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, İbrahim Yumaklı, confirmed that the fire has now been brought under control, offering some relief to the affected areas.

Authorities had detained two individuals suspected of causing the fire, with one of them subsequently being arrested. The incident remains under investigation.

The Lice district of the southeastern Diyarbakır province faced its own fire crisis as a forest fire erupted in the rural Arıklı neighborhood last night. Efforts from the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality, Lice Municipality, and the provincial forestry directorate, along with dedicated firefighting teams, are underway.

Over the weekend, 19 fires erupted in three provinces — Hatay, Mersin and Çanakkale — within 24 hours. Between July 10 and 19, nine forest fires erupted across the country, according to the authorities.

Reasons for the fires

Addressing a press conference in Karabük yesterday, Interior Minister ali Yerlikaya mentioned various reasons for the recent fires. "The global climate change, combined with temperatures exceeding seasonal norms and human negligence, unfortunately invites forest fires.

"As the ministry, we are working diligently to uncover the causes of each fire. So far, our colleagues have determined the causes of 5 fires from yesterday. One is believed to be due to a transformer explosion, two are attributed to natural causes, and the other two are considered to have occurred accidentally."

(VK)