Elderly man dies as wildfires rage in Turkey, forcing evacuations and road closures
The 81-year-old-man died from smoke inhalation in a village near the town of Odemis, Suleyman Elban, the governor for Izmir province, said. His death marks the first fatality in a series of wildfires across the country that have forced thousands to flee.
A total of 37 other villagers were safely evacuated by security forces and emergency teams, Elban said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of firefighters, supported by aircraft and helicopters, were deployed to extinguish a wildfire blazing in the Aegean coastal town of Cesme, a tourism hotspot some 192 kilometers (120 miles) west of Odemis.
That wildfire, which began on Wednesday, forced the evacuation of three neighborhoods and closed roads. Television footage of the blaze showed flames burning through dried vegetation on both sides of a road.
Elban said the wildfires in Izmir province are believed to have been sparked by electrical lines, which ignited dry grass and spread rapidly due to wind.
In the past week, Turkey has battled hundreds of fires across the country that were fueled by fierce winds, scorching heat and low humidity.
The fires — most of which were brought under control — damaged or destroyed around 200 homes, the majority in İzmir, the Interior Ministry said. Dozens of barns were also destroyed.
As firefighting crews battled the blazes, Turkey's parliament adopted the country's first climate law late Wednesday, in a move aimed at reaching net-zero emissions by 2053.
The legislation includes measures to establish a carbon market board to oversee efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emission. It also imposes fines on companies that fail to comply with the requirements.
The U.K.-based environmental advocacy group ClientEarth on Thursday welcomed the law's symbolic importance but said it has several shortcomings.
'The law lacks ambitious, science-based targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the medium-term and offers no commitment to phasing out fossil fuels,' the group said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
18 hours ago
- Associated Press
California's largest blaze explodes in size as dry, hot weather raises wildfire risk statewide
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A wildfire in a wilderness area of central California exploded in size as dry, hot weather Thursday raised the fire risk for large portions of the state ahead of the July Fourth holiday. The Madre Fire became California's largest blaze so far this year, ripping through grasslands after breaking out Wednesday in southeastern San Luis Obispo County. It swiftly grew to more than 55 square miles (142 square kilometers). There was just 5% containment. Evacuation orders and warnings were issued for tiny communities near State Route 166 as flames moved through hilly terrain toward the Carrizo Plain National Monument, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) east of Santa Maria. Dozens of smaller wildfires were burning across the state. Southern California's Wolf Fire reached 55% containment Thursday after charring more than 3.7 square miles (9.5 square kilometers) of dry brush since breaking out June 29 in Riverside County east of Los Angeles.
The Hill
18 hours ago
- The Hill
Western Balkans face severe drought and water restrictions during heat wave
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — The Western Balkans faces a severe drought after a heat wave hit the region, disrupting daily life and creating issues with agriculture and power. Temperatures on Thursday in central Albania reached 40 C (104 F) and meteorologists warned that there would be scarce rain until September. Rivers are almost dry because of a lack of rainfall during winter and spring. The soaring temperatures have pushed Albanian authorities to assist local agriculture with irrigation networks. A project to take water from the northern Mat river to help irrigate around 4,000 hectares (9,885 acres) of agricultural land in the area was completed on Tuesday. There also has been a negative impact on Albania's power production, which mostly comes from hydropower stations in the country's north. The national power corporation spent up to 60 million euros ($70 million) to import energy in the first half of this year. The state meteorological institute of Serbia has warned that 'extreme drought' is affecting the country's crops, while water levels in rivers and lakes have dropped. Small towns and villages throughout Serbia also face restrictions on drinking water. In Kosovo, a water shortage closed an open-air pool in the capital, Pristina, used by people to cool off in the summer heat. The Germia swimming pool on the city's outskirts was built in the late 1980s as a recreational destination and is considered one of the biggest on the continent. At this time last year, the pool had between 4,000 and 5,000 visitors daily. Germia Park, renowned for its natural beauty and recreation, is located among hills and mountains that provide the pool's natural water resources. But this year, the pool's staff couldn't access the 20,000 cubic meters (5.3 million gallons) of water needed. In previous years, it has taken six days to fill the pool, but this year will take more than three weeks because of the drought, manager Bardh Krasniqi said. 'Due to the strong heat wave that is currently affecting the country and also the region, unfortunately we have not been able to open the largest pool in the country,' Krasniqi said. As the temperature was set to reach 35 C (95 F) Thursday, the Health Institute urged people to stay away from direct sun and warned children, older people and anyone who was ill to stay home. In Bosnia, temperatures in the southern town of Mostar reached 41 C (105.8 F) on Thursday, with the streets almost completely empty in the blazing heat. During the past week's heat wave in Europe, scorching temperatures reached as high as 46.6 C (115.9 F) in Mora, Portugal. Wildfires are frequent in the region during the hot, dry summers. ___ Jovana Gec in Belgrade, Serbia, and Florent Bajrami in Pristina, Kosovo, contributed to this report.
San Francisco Chronicle
19 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Elderly man dies as wildfires rage in Turkey, forcing evacuations and road closures
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Firefighters on Thursday discovered the body of an elderly man after extinguishing a wildfire near a village in western Turkey, while crews elsewhere continued to battle another blaze that closed a highway and forced some residents to be evacuated from their homes. The 81-year-old-man died from smoke inhalation in a village near the town of Odemis, Suleyman Elban, the governor for Izmir province, said. His death marks the first fatality in a series of wildfires across the country that have forced thousands to flee. A total of 37 other villagers were safely evacuated by security forces and emergency teams, Elban said. Meanwhile, hundreds of firefighters, supported by aircraft and helicopters, were deployed to extinguish a wildfire blazing in the Aegean coastal town of Cesme, a tourism hotspot some 192 kilometers (120 miles) west of Odemis. That wildfire, which began on Wednesday, forced the evacuation of three neighborhoods and closed roads. Television footage of the blaze showed flames burning through dried vegetation on both sides of a road. Elban said the wildfires in Izmir province are believed to have been sparked by electrical lines, which ignited dry grass and spread rapidly due to wind. In the past week, Turkey has battled hundreds of fires across the country that were fueled by fierce winds, scorching heat and low humidity. The fires — most of which were brought under control — damaged or destroyed around 200 homes, the majority in İzmir, the Interior Ministry said. Dozens of barns were also destroyed. As firefighting crews battled the blazes, Turkey's parliament adopted the country's first climate law late Wednesday, in a move aimed at reaching net-zero emissions by 2053. The legislation includes measures to establish a carbon market board to oversee efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emission. It also imposes fines on companies that fail to comply with the requirements. The U.K.-based environmental advocacy group ClientEarth on Thursday welcomed the law's symbolic importance but said it has several shortcomings. 'The law lacks ambitious, science-based targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the medium-term and offers no commitment to phasing out fossil fuels,' the group said.
