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Turkey: Hundreds Of Residents Forced To Evacuate As Forest Fire Continues To Rage For 3rd Straight Day

Tashika Tyagi
fire Turkey

For the third consecutive day, firefighters were battling a strong forest fire in Turkey’s Aegean city of Izmir. The raging forest fire is now, reportedly, nearing and damaging residential areas of Izmir. Hundreds of local people in nearby villages had to be evacuated for safety purposes. Firefighters have been trying to douse the fire with helicopters and water bombers as well. Read on to know more about this.

Forest Fire Rages In Turkey’s Izmir, Hundreds Of Residents Forced To Evacuate

For the third straight day on Saturday, firefighters in Turkey were seen trying to douse the raging wildfires in Izmir. According to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), forest fires have engulfed western Turkey and have forced hundreds of residents of nearby villages to evacuate to safer places.

While the firefighters are trying to control the raging fire, due to high wind speed, the forest fire continues to spread in Turkey’s Izmir. About 1,600 hectares of land have been affected due to the forest fires. Hundreds of houses and workplaces have been burned as well.

According to NDTV, In the northern suburb of Ornekkoy, people reported charred remains of several buildings and vehicles in an industrial zone. There were also reports of grey smoke billowing into the sky in the region. The pine trees surrounding the hills are also all burned now. Locals are also posting harrowing pictures and videos of the forest fires on social media and they are quite heartbreaking.

According to The Independent, the forest fires in Turkey have also caused temperatures in the country to reach record-breaking levels. The wildfires have so far affected areas like the Karsiyaka and Ornekkoy. Besides that, five other fires continue to rage in forest areas in other cities in Turkey like Bolu and Aydin.

Also Read: Greece Wildfires: Is It Risky To Visit Athens Now? Here’s All You Need To Know

Firefighters Try To Douse The Wild Fires

Image Courtesy: Canva (representative image)

Firefighters have been trying to douse the growing forest fires in Turkey. Besides the usual water cannons, they have been using helicopters and water bombers to contain the fire. However, they had to ground the water-controlling efforts for a while due to strong winds. Thankfully, they were able to start their battle with fire on Saturday again.

As per the NDTV report, 900 residents in five affected districts of Izmir were evacuated overnight. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed this news. He even mentioned that two planes and eleven helicopters have been put to use for the water dousing effort in the area. Thankfully, there have been no casualties reported due to the forest fires in Turkey yet. However, around 78 people were reported injured and 29 of them were taken to the hospital for medical assistance.

Also Read: 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites In Turkey That Showcase Its Rich History

We hope that the firefighters are able to contain the raging forest fires soon and that normalcy is restored in Turkey soon!

Cover Image Courtesy: Canva (representative image)

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