Firefighters, volunteers mobilize as wildfires force evacuations in southern Türkiye
MERSİN
Neighboring cities, volunteers and local firefighting teams on Aug. 14 mobilized to help contain fast-moving wildfires in Türkiye’s southern provinces of Mersin and Hatay, where hundreds of residents have been evacuated.
In Mersin’s Silifke district, a blaze that began on Aug. 13 spread quickly from scrubland into forest, fanned by strong winds.
Six neighborhoods and five hamlets, home to nearly 200 people, were evacuated as a precaution, officials said.
A highway in the region was shut to traffic, with vehicles diverted to an alternative route.
Firefighting crews from Adana, Osmaniye, Hatay, Konya and Karaman joined local teams under the coordination of the forestry authority and contributed to the efforts on Aug. 14.
In Hatay’s Hassa district, a wildfire that began on Aug. 13 prompted the evacuation of around 1,115 residents from two nearby neighborhoods to temporary accommodation centers.
Access to the fire zone was hampered by rugged terrain, prompting crews to use heavy machinery to open routes.
Similar to the situation in Mersin, additional teams from neighboring provinces were also dispatched to assist in the operation.
Hatay Governor Mustafa Masatlı, visiting the site on Aug. 14, told reporters that “there is currently no significant wind risk, and no loss of life or property has been reported.”
Separately, in the northwestern province of Çanakkale, a fire that started on farmland in the town of Kepez and spread to a forest burned for 24 hours before being brought under control on Aug. 13.
Drone footage showed large swathes of scorched woodland as crews continued cooling operations in the area on Aug. 14.
Türkiye has been battling severe wildfires since late June, driven by scorching temperatures. The country had just experienced its hottest July since records began 55 years ago.
Last month, Türkiye saw its highest-ever recorded temperature, 50.5 degrees, in the southeastern province of Şırnak.
In the fires, a total of 18 people have been killed, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers who died in July.
