Almost all fires in Turkey under control, fire also haunts Greece and Italy

update/videoNearly all forest fires in Turkey are now under control. Thousands of firefighters were able to contain 122 of the 129 fires in 35 provinces, according to a government spokesman. The fires, which have been raging since Wednesday, have claimed eight lives so far. Forest fires also ravage Greece and Italy.

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Foreign editors

2 aug. 2021

Latest update:
10:29

The fires that have not yet been contained are especially dangerous in the towns of Bodrum, Marmaris and Manavgat on the south coast. Many people have to be evacuated there, including by sea. About 180 people have been injured so far.

Thousands of firefighters are working to fight the fire. Drones and 45 fire fighting helicopters are also being deployed. However, the Turkish government has been criticized for not having fire-fighting planes that can spread more water over a wider area. Russia, Iran, Ukraine and Azerbaijan are helping with fire-fighting planes, among other things. Turkey is said to have declined an offer from Israel to help.

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Firefighters at work near Bodrum in Muğla province. © AP

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In the province of Antalya, several Dutch holidaymakers are evacuated. According to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, eight Dutch people were involved. They have continued their vacation elsewhere in the country, a spokesman said.

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Turkey’s southern coast has been ravaged by dozens of forest fires since Wednesday. These are the heaviest fires in years. More than 300 people have been injured so far and require medical treatment. According to official data, nearly 95,000 hectares of forest have already been reduced to ashes this year. On average, approximately 13,500 hectares have burned down since 2008.

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Greece

Forest fires have also devastated parts of Greece. On the Greek island of Rhodes, many residents are without electricity and water because of a forest fire that broke out on Sunday afternoon. The village of Psinthos in the Valley of the Butterflies, a tourist attraction on the west side of the island, and the military camp Kalamonas have been evacuated. Residents of Maritsa and Kalythia were asked to leave their villages at 3:30 a.m. Monday.

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The fire started around noon on Sunday between the villages of Soroni and Tholou and spread across the region. The fire is still raging in the Kalamonas area, according to local media. Forty firefighters, aided by army reservists and volunteers, fight the blaze. They receive help from the air from a fire-fighting plane and three fire-fighting helicopters. Extra help is on the way from Crete.

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A resident of the village of Sirtkoy, near Manavgat in Antalya Province, with a fire fighting helicopter in the background. © AP

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A forest fire in Zeria in the Achaia region of the Peloponnese has now been brought under control. About 300 firefighters fight the fire with five firefighting planes, seven firefighting helicopters and dozens of fire trucks.

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Italy

In the Italian town of Pescara, on the Adriatic coast, people ran from the beach on Sunday when they saw smoke and flames rising from a nearby pine forest. Five people were injured and hospitalized after trying to extinguish the flames that had reached their homes.

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The fire service in Italy has their hands full with forest fires, especially in the south of the country. Firefighters had to turn out 800 times in the past 24 hours. On the island of Sicily alone, the fire brigade had to come into action 250 times. A fire just outside the eastern coastal city of Catania forced the local airport, popular with tourists, to be temporarily shut down. About 150 people trapped in the flames near Catania were taken to safety by police boat.

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According to the regional government, some fires have been set. The authorities expect the highest fire risk level for eastern and northern Sicily on Saturday, with temperatures around 40 degrees. The heat wave is expected to last all week.

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Forest fires are also raging in the southern regions of Apulia, Calabria and Campania and in the Lazio region, which includes the capital Rome. Previously was the island of Sardinia already hit hard.

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Southeastern Europe is plagued by extreme heat. It mercury rises to nearly 45 degrees in the coming days in Turkey, Greece and Sicily, among others. The cause is the south wind that brings hot air from the Sahara.

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