Raging wildfires under control in Çanakkale, Diyarbakır

ÇANAKKALE

After an intense 52-hour battle, the forest fire in the northwestern province of Çanakkale has finally been brought under control, as confirmed by Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı, with another fire put out in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır.

Teams are engaged in protracted battles with several forest fires as Türkiye, along with the rest of the globe, has recently experienced record-breaking temperatures and heatwaves fueled by the El Nino phenomenon.

Minister Yumaklı reported that the forest fire initially started in Kızılkeçili village of Çanakkale on July 16 and has quickly spread over a wide area was finally brought under control after 52 hours with the intervention of nine aircrafts, 22 helicopters, 78 land vehicles, nine first response vehicles, 25 water supply vehicles and 900 personnel on the ground.

Cooling works around the region are ongoing, Yumaklı stated.

“We are on high alert for the rest of our forests. Let's all stay away from behaviors that may cause wildfires and protect our homeland together,” read the minister’s latest statement on social media.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced that four of the 61 people who were affected by the forest fires in Çanakkale are still being treated at the hospital.

Affecting eight villages nearby, the forest fire also damaged farmers and breeders in the region as countless cattle perished and thousands of bales of hay were burned to ashes.

The fire is known to have destroyed more than 500 hectares of land. The cause of the fire is also still under investigation.

On July 18, another fire broke out at several points in an area of grassland and oak trees between the rural neighborhoods of Arıklı, Serin and Karahasan in Diyarbakır’s Lice district for an undetermined reason.

Upon notification, several fire brigades and gendarmerie teams from neighboring provinces were dispatched to the area.

It was reported that the flames spread in a short time with the effect of the wind, though they were brought under control in about 18 hours.

Approximately 20 hectares of land was affected in the fire, yet fortunately there was no casualty or damage to any property, Diyarbakır Forest Management head Davut Ayzit announced.