Blaze destroys 20 hectares of land in tourist hotspot on Aegean Coast

BODRUM

A fire that broke out for unknown reasons destroyed 20 hectares of maquis shrubland in Muğla’s Bodrum district in Turkey’s southwest on Oct. 7, before it was taken under control only meters away from houses.

The residential part of the town, Yalıkavak, was spared from the fire as 20 firefighters were able to keep the wind-blown flames under control with sprinklers belonging to the Muğla Regional Forestry Directorate.

One firefighter’s dedication impressed eyewitnesses. As the rising flames came closer to him, he kept his ground and helped stop the fire from spreading to the facilities.

Police officers and firefighters investigated the area to find the cause of the fire after the blaze was tackled.

A forest fire engulfed the Menteşe district of the Aegean province of Muğla on Sept. 6, leading officials to evacuate a local neighborhood nearby.

In another incident, eight hectares of forest land were damaged in a fire that broke out in the Menteşe district of the Aegean province of Muğla on Sept. 1.

In the Yava village of Muğla’s Yatağan district, four hectares of forest land were reduced to ashes in a fire that started from a small spark, which fell while an advertising sign board near the road was being heat welded. Three people have been reported to be detained regarding the incident on Aug. 27.