Latest situation in forest fires: 10 thousand hectares of land turned into ashes
With the increase in temperatures, forest fires that broke out in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions have been effective in many cities. According to the data announced by the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı, the fires in İzmir, Manisa, Hatay, Bilecik and Bursa were largely brought under control, while 10 thousand hectares of land were reduced to ashes.
Villages were evacuated due to the fire that started in the forest area between Kuyucak Neighborhood of Menderes district of Izmir and Orhanlı Neighborhood of Seferihisar at noon on Sunday, June 29.
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı reported that four planes, 14 helicopters and 106 water trucks were used in the fires. Yumaklı also stated that over a thousand people, including volunteers and the forestry organization, were working to intervene in the fire.
Minister Yumaklı reported that the fire's energy had been reduced on June 30, "But there are three points. Maybe we don't feel it right now, but the wind's intensity increases at the upper points, at the summits. Our friends are focused on these three points. If we can succeed, I can say that there is nothing to fear about the fire anymore," he said.
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Cemil Tugay assessed the extent of the disaster in the fire area. Tugay, who met with citizens, reported that the fire caused great destruction in a wide area and that intervention was made difficult, especially due to the wind.
While the intervention in the forest fires affecting the Menderes and Seferihisar districts of İzmir continued throughout the night, air intervention resumed with 4 planes and 10 helicopters at sunrise on Tuesday, July 1.
Four firefighting planes and 10 helicopters from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry were dispatched to the area in the morning hours and began intervention. Firefighting teams made intensive efforts to extinguish the fire from land and air.
Forests also burned in ManisaAnother address for firefighting was Manisa. A forest fire broke out in the Karaköy Neighborhood of Manisa’s Akhisar district at around 11:30 on June 28. Upon notification, 4 planes, 11 helicopters, 43 water tenders, 16 fire trucks, 42 water tankers, 31 construction equipment and 879 personnel belonging to the Izmir Forestry Regional Directorate were dispatched to the region.
The fire, which could not be brought under control due to the wind, spread to Ahmetli and Kula districts on Monday, June 30. The fire, which broke out in the Dereköy Neighborhood of Ahmetli district, was intervened with 5 planes, 7 helicopters, 35 water trucks, 10 water supply vehicles and 4 dozers. Teams worked intensively in the region in order to bring the fire under control as soon as possible.
The fire that broke out in the Encekler Neighborhood of Kula district was intervened with 7 helicopters, 35 water trucks, 10 water supply vehicles and 2 dozers. The General Directorate of Forestry teams made an intensive effort from land and air to bring the fire under control.
Akhisar Mayor Ekrem Kayserili spoke to ANKA News Agency in the fire area. Kayserili said, “A fire broke out at a time we least expected. The fire that started at 11 am is still going on, it is 3 pm. There is a strong wind, the fire has progressed due to the strong wind. A wind warning was issued especially for today and tomorrow. Unfortunately, the fire that started from something very small has spread to unwanted areas. All the resources are here right now; everyone is trying to get the fire under control as soon as possible.”
Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Besim Dutlulu, in a statement he made on social media on July 1, stated that strong winds made it difficult to control the fires.
Mayor Dutlulu stated in his statement on social media that the municipality is on the field with all its equipment and personnel: “In this difficult struggle; our heroic firefighting teams, forest workers, public institutions and volunteer citizens are trying to protect our future by fighting fire with all their might. Our prayers are with all our heroes on the field.”
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı announced in his statement that the fires in İzmir-Seferihisar, İzmir-Menderes, Manisa-Akhisar, Manisa-Kula, Manisa-Saruhanlı and Bilecik-Vezirhan were completely brought under control; in Manisa-Ahmetli, control was largely achieved and cooling efforts were continuing.
The fire, which started in the early hours of June 30 in the Karaali Neighborhood of Hatay, spread quickly. Citizens living in the area evacuated their homes.
The firefighting efforts continued at full speed on July 1. Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mehmet Öntürk spoke about the ongoing forest fires. Öntürk stated that 412 vehicles and 957 personnel were working in the fire zone and that 1,680 people were evacuated to safe areas.
The damaged areas in the Antakya region of Hatay, where the fire was brought under control, were viewed like this.
The fire, which started in a forest area in Karaali Neighborhood two days ago for an unknown reason, spread to Oğlakören, Dikmece, Gülderen, Üçgedik and Alahan neighborhoods due to strong winds. Many trees and green areas were destroyed in Hatay, which fought the fire for about 3 days.
Due to the fire, which was fought by 8 planes and 12 helicopters from the air, over a thousand vehicles and approximately 2,700 personnel from the land, 240 houses were evacuated as a precaution and 2,500 people were placed in student dormitories.
Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mehmet Öntürk stated that a total of 412 vehicles and 957 personnel were working in the fire zone and said, “4 helicopters, 96 water trucks, 52 tankers, 13 dozers, 10 excavators, 7 TOMAs, 6 graders, 5 JCBs, 4 ambulances, 3 mobile generators and many passenger cars, buses and support vehicles are actively working in the field. All units of our state are in the field with all their might.”
Öntürk, who said, “We are on the field with all our might,” stated that efforts are ongoing to extinguish the fire without disrupting coordination and without causing any loss of life. He emphasized that developments will continue to be shared transparently with the public.
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Urban Information Systems Department made an assessment by taking satellite images of the fire area. Accordingly, approximately 10 thousand hectares of land was reduced to ashes, including 1,922 hectares of forest, 3,241 hectares of maquis, 155 hectares of orchard, 355 hectares of agricultural land, 3,225 hectares of meadow and 300 hectares of other areas.
Ankara Metropolitan Municipality sent vehicles and personnel to the region for fire extinguishing efforts in Izmir. In a statement made by ABB, it was reported that 2 fire trucks, 5 fire personnel, 1 water tanker and 2 drivers were dispatched to the region to support the intervention in the ongoing forest fire in Izmir.
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality fire brigade teams also went to Izmir to fight the ongoing fires in Izmir.
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality firefighters were in Izmir to fight the fire. In a statement made by the IMM Fire Department's official X account, it was said, "As the Istanbul Fire Department, we are moving to the region with our team consisting of 11 vehicles and 38 personnel in order to support the forest fire that occurred in Izmir."
Kadıköy Municipality Urban Search and Rescue team teams also took action to intervene in the fire in İzmir. Upon the instructions of Kadıköy Mayor Mesut Kösedağ, 13 rescue personnel, 1 water tanker and a mobile soup kitchen were dispatched to the fire area. Kösedağ shared the message, “We will overcome difficult days with solidarity.”
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı made a statement on July 2 on his official social media account regarding the forest fires that have been occurring in Türkiye in recent days:
“The fires in İzmir Seferihisar, İzmir Menderes, Manisa Akhisar, Manisa Kula, Manisa Saruhanlı and Bilecik Vezirhan have been completely brought under control. In Hatay Antakya and Manisa Ahmetli, control has been achieved to a large extent. Our cooling efforts continue with determination.”
A forest fire broke out in the Yeni Yörük Neighborhood of İnegöl and the Mustafakemalpaşa district of Bursa for an unknown reason. The teams are continuing to respond to the fire in İnegöl with 3 water trucks, 1 water tanker, 2 first response vehicles, 1 helicopter and 19 personnel; and to the fire in Mustafakemalpaşa with 1 UAV, 1 helicopter, 6 water trucks, 2 water tankers and 46 personnel.
AFAD reported that damage assessment efforts for the fires in İzmir, Manisa and Bilecik were continuing and that the safety of the affected people had been ensured. AFAD made a “Disaster Area Decision Affecting General Life” for the fire-affected districts in İzmir and Bilecik provinces.
In a statement made on AFAD's social media account, it was noted that there was no loss of life in the fires that broke out in İzmir, Manisa and Bilecik, and that 203 citizens were discharged after being checked. The statement included the following statements:
“The extinguishing, controlling and cooling efforts against forest fires occurring in various provinces and districts of our country continue intensively and uninterruptedly within the scope of the Turkey Disaster Response Plan (TAMP). Damage assessment is carried out by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change teams, and damage assessment is carried out by the treasury teams.”
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