Article author:
Reuters
Istanbul — Firefighters sought to contain wildfires from land and air in southwestern Turkey as the fire raged on the third day.
A scene of burning forests near Marmaris, a resort on the Aegean coast, has caused fear of repeated fires last year that destroyed approximately 140,000 hectares (345,950 acres) throughout the region. rice field.
Reuters footage shows smoke swirling from the hills as flames spread over the woodlands of less populated areas and helicopters and planes drop water on the flames all day long. ..
Police began around 8 pm Tuesday (1700 GMT) and helped water cannon firefighters who affected more than 3,400 hectares of land.
Interior Minister Suleiman Soil said he admitted that one had been detained and had burned the forest out of frustration due to his family's problems.
Health Minister Faletin Coca said late Thursday that 29 people were affected by the fire and two were still being treated in the hospital.
As a precautionary measure, about 274 people were evacuated, officials said.
Human-induced climate change makes heat waves more prone and more serious, scientists say.
Last summer's wildfires were mostly near Marmaris and were the most intense in Turkey on record. European Union atmospheric monitors added last year that the Mediterranean has become a hotspot for wildfires.
President Tayyip Erdogan's government has been criticized for not being ready to fight last year's fire, especially due to a shortage of planes and helicopters. He replied that the wildfire was the worst in Turkish history.
Kemal Kılıdarır, the leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), said Wednesday that the government was "incompetent" and had not prepared for a fire since last year. (Report by Ali Kucukgocmen, edited by Kim Coghill)
