Firefighters struggle as wildfires rage in Kemer

ANTALYA

Firefighting teams have been struggling to contain a massive wildfire in the southern province of Antalya’s Kemer district for the second consecutive day, as authorities have informed that approximately 180 hectares of land have been reduced to ashes as of late July 25, with extreme temperatures scorching Türkiye and the region.

As Türkiye, like the rest of the world, is recently experiencing record-breaking temperatures and heatwaves, teams are facing prolonged battles with numerous forest fires.

While teams are on high alert and intervening in new fires almost every day, the forest fire that broke out in Kemer on July 24 at 9:08 p.m. for an unknown reason has spread over a wide area due to strong winds and extreme weather conditions.

Providing information regarding the ongoing efforts, Kemer Mayor Necati Topaloğlu stated that the night-vision firefighting planes battled the flames throughout the night, adding that the crews faced a grave difficulty as the fire burned both intensely forested and rocky areas that made it almost impossible to access.

"The teams managed to prevent the fire from spreading further and keeping it confined to a certain area. We think that it will be brought under control by noon today [July 26]. Our biggest disadvantage is that we cannot intervene from the ground at all,” Topaloğlu informed.

Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı also stated that the forest fire does not pose a threat to any residential areas, adding that one of the main reasons for the difficulty in extinguishing the fire is low humidity and extremely high temperatures.

"Our success in all previous wildfires was a quite rapid and strong response. Despite responding within nine minutes to this forest fire as well, the topography of the area prevented ground forces from gaining access, leading to the extended duration of containment," Yumaklı said.

Some 1,050 personnel, more than 200 vehicles, 22 helicopters and 10 planes were intensely intervening in the field, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said on July 25.

While the density of trees was challenging for the teams in the region where there is intense air traffic, nearly five aircraft were taking water from the sea and dropping it over the forests at the same time, Ersoy noted.

Greece is another country that has been sweltering under a lengthy spell of extreme heat that has led to multiple wildfires, leaving visitors stranded in peak tourist season.

Greece was expecting scorching heat on July 26 as crews scrambled to douse deadly wildfires that have also struck nations around the Mediterranean.

Thousands of people have evacuated as Greek authorities struggle to combat flames on three major fronts, including the tourist islands of Rhodes and Corfu.

Fires have also flared in Croatia and Italy and flames killed dozens of people in Algeria earlier in the week, with scorching heat leaving landscapes tinder dry.

Temperatures are expected to hit between 43-45 degrees Celsius in central and southern Greece, according to the national meteorological service.

The Civil Protection Ministry warned of the extreme danger of fire in six of the country's 13 regions on July 26.

Wildfires, which have been burning in several parts of the country for more than 10 days, were ravaging the tourist islands of Rhodes, Corfu and Evia.

At least 100 firefighters were working to contain the flames on Evia, where on July 25 two pilots were killed when their water bomber aircraft crashed.

The body of a third victim was also found on Evia.