Wildfire in Turkey's Bodrum taken under control

Starting in the İslamhaneleri area of Bodrum’s Turgutreis neighborhood, the fire had reached to the Akyarlar neighborhood’s Karaincir and Kemer areas before it was taken under control by teams from the Muğla, Bodrum, Ortanca, Marmaris, Yatağan and Milas forestry department and the Muğla Municipality, with the help of a tanker plane, three helicopters, five construction vehicles, 30 sprinklers and contributions from some 200 firefighters. 

Saying that fires erupted in the same area every year, local residents claimed the fires were started deliberately. 

“Unfortunately, we have witnessed another wildfire. There have been fires here before as well. We are faced with this situation here very often,” said Ertan Masak, administrator of the Karaincir Housing Site, which was saved from the fire at the last minute. 

Many people were affected by the ash and smoke from the fire, which threatened to expand to residential areas. 

“Everywhere was covered with smoke. Citizens who were by the beach, especially those who had breathing problems, came to buy medicine. We helped them. And now, we will clean the surroundings of our workplace,” said Barış Karakaya, a local pharmacist.