On Wednesday and Thursday, a wildfire in the south of Turkey started. Initially, they were small but continue to burn on Friday, while some other are under control.
It is the season of forest fires so it is very normal to fires erupt one after another. However, this year the damage was unexpected. Entire villages were destroyed with flames. Authorities think that PKK terrorist group is behind these fires. As they have done in the past.
The fires majorly damaged the vacation resorts in Mugla and Antalya and the strong winds trigger the spread even more. The provinces in the neighborhood Adana, Osmaniye, and Mersin also faced huge fires since mid-week.
On Thursday evening, the death toll increased to four. A young boy was trying to help the firefighters and stuck in the fire in Marmaris. It is a vacation resort in the southwestern province of Mugla. The other three people who died were from the village of Antalya. They tried to escape the fire but failed due to the fast spread.
In Manavgat, Antalya the fire started on Wednesday and cause huge destruction. A lot of houses in the villages burnt down. Another blaze broke out in the neighboring district of Akseki and the fire grew even more. Firefighters are facing challenges because of the strong winds. Firefighting efforts are being carried out from both land and air both.
Ministers of the Turkish Government have reached Antalya ever since the fire started. According to the officials, the fire is majorly under control. The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli assured the public that 57 out of 71 fires are under control.
According to Pakdemirli, the fire in Marmaris was not dangerous as it caused minor damage only. He also mentioned that the fire is now heading towards the sea. The images coming out of the town show thick smoke and flames behind the skyline of hotels in the forests. Another popular resort, Bodrum also has a similar situation. The tourists in the hotels were evacuated via boats when the flames reached the trees behind the seaside hotel.
Pakdemirli also assured that police and judiciary are investigating the matter to find out the root cause behind these fires. The public is blaming two children who started the fire. The children testified, that they were burning a few books in the forest when the fire got out of control. The government is taking serious action and stated that whoever is responsible for the fire will have to pay for the consequences.
President Erdogan informed the public that 45 helicopters are on duty. The government has asked for more planes from Ukraine, Russia, and Azerbaijan. These are special planes that work better for the fires than the usual planes. “We have 1,080 fire trucks and 280 water tankers in affected areas, along with 2,270 ‘first response vehicles’ and 660 bulldozers and other heavy equipment. 10,550 people, from firefighters to forest preservation officers are working on the ground. We have positive progress (in terms of extinguishing the fires),” he further added.
Even though erupting fires is common in this season, but the damage caused this year is unavoidable. The government is checking into the matter and investigating to find out the culprit. Climate change may be the reason for the wildfire in Turkey. However, suspicion also lies on the terrorist groups for starting the fire.
