On the 28th of July, 2021, multiple wildfires started in the Manavgat district of the Antalya province in Southern Turkey. Since then, the fires have spread all over the southern coastline, burning over 316,000 acres of land.
Cause
The cause behind these fires is the abnormal heat waves Turkey has been experiencing. Since the last few days, the temperature has been over 40°C and sometimes even reaching 45°C. The reason why these fires have been blazing for over a week now is not only because of the heat but also because of high winds and low humidity over this period. Although the start of the forest fires has been confirmed by high temperatures, officials have arrested at least 3 people who are facing arson charges for several fires in Kryoneri and central Greece.
Evacuation
As soon as officials noticed the wildfires, the evacuation of thousands of people began. Many fled by sea, using patrol boats and private vessels. Firefighters went door-to-door and authorities sent push alerts to mobile phones in the area, both urging residents to evacuate. The exact number of people evacuated is unsure, but officials say that at least 36,000 people were evacuated in Mugla province alone. On Saturday, several countries like Croatia, France, Sweden and Ukraine sent help to fight the flames. Afterwards, Romania, Switzerland, Egypt and Germany sent reinforcements. Spain sent two water dumping aircraft and one transport plane, along with 27 soldiers to help.
Backlash
The damage that the fires have left has been immense. There have been eight deaths, including a 38-year-old volunteer who got hit in the head with a falling utility pole. Over 200 people have suffered from injuries. Along with hundreds of acres of land, some historic sites, tourist attractions, electricity installations and populated areas have burned along them. Because of the fires, the distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations has been interrupted as long as the fires clear out of the center. Fortunately, even though more than 220 fires have broken out, the firefighting crews have managed to bring 200 of them under control. This doesn’t mean that the fires might stop soon. If the heat persists, the wildfires may last longer than these two weeks.
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