Fires engulf Turkey's Mediterranean coast as government declares 2 disaster zones
New wildfires broke out on Turkey's Mediterranean coast Friday, as the government declared two western provinces in the country to be disaster zones.
Images showed flames and smoke billowing into the sky close to high-rise apartment buildings in Antalya, where local and foreign visitors flock during the summer months.
Homes were evacuated in the city center and the outlying district of Aksu as the fire advanced, privately owned news agency DHA reported. Firefighters struggled to extinguish the blazes before strong winds could spread the fire, which closed a major coastal road.
Further along the coast, homes in the city of Manavgat were also threatened.
Local residents with hoses and buckets rushed to assist firefighters as water-dropping helicopters and planes also battled the flames. Police water cannons and municipal water trucks were also enlisted in the firefighting efforts.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Friday that Izmir and Bilecik provinces had been declared "disaster areas affecting public life," one step below the most serious level of emergency.
Between June 27 and Thursday, residents from 120 neighborhoods nationwide were evacuated, Yerlikaya added, and more than 12,000 workers under the ministry's authority, such as police and rescue staff, had fought the fires.
In a social media post, the minister said 311 homes had been destroyed or seriously damaged during the monthlong blazes and 85 temporary housing units were set up across three western provinces for those made homeless.
Turkey has faced widespread outbreaks of forest fires since late June. Thirteen people have died, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers killed Wednesday in a fire in Eskisehir, western Turkey. The funerals for the 10 were on Thursday.
Temperatures above seasonal norms have been exacerbated by strong winds and dry conditions, resulting in dozens of wildfires.
East of Antalya, fires broke out in Adana and Mersin on Friday. Elsewhere in the country, firefighters continued battling blazes in Eskisehir and nearby Karabuk that have been raging for several days.
The heat wave in the eastern Mediterranean region saw 1,000 firefighters and soldiers battle flames in Albania as temperatures reached 42 C (107 F).
In the Albanian city of Elbasan, firefighters have been combating a weeklong blaze in the country's central mountain forests. Fires have also broke out near the southern border with Greece.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Nahar Net
7 minutes ago
- Nahar Net
France biggest wildfire of summer has eclipsed size of Paris and is still spreading
by Naharnet Newsdesk 06 August 2025, 18:06 France's biggest wildfire this summer was spreading quickly Wednesday in a Mediterranean region near the Spanish border after leaving one person dead, authorities said. The fire had burned an area larger than Paris. About 2,000 firefighters and several water bomber aircraft battled the blaze that broke out Tuesday afternoon in the village of Ribaute in the Aude region, a rural, wooded area that is home to wineries. The fire, which has burned 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres), remained ''very active'' on Wednesday, the local administration said in a statement. The weather was hot, dry and windy, making it difficult for firefighters to contain the blaze. One person died in their home, and at least 13 others were injured, including 11 firefighters, local authorities said. One person who was initially described as missing has been located and is safe. Jacques Piraux, mayor of the village of Jonquières, said all residents have been evacuated. "It's a scene of sadness and desolation," he told broadcaster BFM TV after he visited Wednesday morning. "It looks like a lunar landscape, everything is burned. More than half or three-quarters of the village has burned down. It's hellish." Residents and tourists in nearby areas were requested to remain in their homes unless told to evacuate. Two campsites were evacuated as a precaution. French Prime Minister François Bayrou met Wednesday afternoon with firefighters and residents at Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, where the fire service's command post has been set up. The environment ministry said the Aude region has been experiencing a drought this month, with water use restrictions in place. Lack of rainfall in recent months "played a major role in the spreading of the fire, since the vegetation is very dry," the statement said. Southern Europe has seen multiple large fires this summer. Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires. Last month, a wildfire that reached the southern port of Marseille, France's second-largest city, left around 300 people injured. Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing at twice the speed of the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Nahar Net
8 minutes ago
- Nahar Net
Rescuers search for dozens missing after deadly flash floods kill 4 in northern India
by Naharnet Newsdesk 06 August 2025, 17:43 Rescuers were scouring a devastated Himalayan village in northern India to find dozens of missing people, a day after flash floods killed at least four people and left many others trapped under debris, officials said Wednesday. Flood waters triggered by intense rains gushed down the narrow mountains Tuesday into Dharali, a mountain village in Uttarakhand state, sweeping away homes, roads and a local market. Teams of army and disaster force rescuers were searching for dozens, including at least 11 Indian army soldiers, who are believed to be trapped under the rubble. Authorities said rescue workers had recovered four bodies by Wednesday. "The search for others is still underway," said Dilip Singh, a disaster management official. Singh said at least 60 people have been rescued so far and moved to safer locations, but adverse weather conditions, damaged roads and rugged terrain were hampering rescue efforts. An Indian army camp in Harsil, some 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from the flooded village of Dharali, was also hit by flash floods and 11 army personnel were missing, said Col. Harshvardhan, who was leading rescue efforts. "The conditions are extremely challenging, but our teams are staying put," said Lt. Col. Manish Srivastava, a defense spokesperson. The flooding in northern India is the latest in a series of disasters that have battered the Himalayan mountains in the last few months. Sudden, intense downpours over small areas known as cloudbursts are increasingly common in Uttarakhand, a Himalayan region prone to flash floods and landslides during the monsoon season. Cloudbursts have the potential to wreak havoc by causing intense flooding and landslides, impacting thousands of people in the mountainous regions. Similar incidents were recorded in Dharali in 1864, 2013 and 2014. More than 6,000 people died and 4,500 villages were affected when a similar cloudburst devastated Uttarakhand state in 2013. Experts say cloudbursts have increased in recent years partly due to climate change, while damage from the storms also has increased because of unplanned development in mountain regions. "This village sits on a ticking time bomb," said geologist S.P. Sati. "It is in a highly fragile zone." Uttarakhand, known for its rugged terrain, spiritual pilgrimage sites and popular tourist destinations, has witnessed a growing number of extreme weather events in recent years. Lokendra Bisht, a local lawmaker who runs a homestay in the area, said people ran for their lives, but the flood waters came so fast that "there was nothing anyone could do." "The whole of Dharali village was wiped out," he said.
Nahar Net
8 minutes ago
- Nahar Net
Massive central California wildfire threatens leaves 3 injured
by Naharnet Newsdesk 06 August 2025, 17:45 More than 800 structures are threatened by a massive wildfire in central California that left at least three people injured as it burned through Los Padres National Forest. The Gifford Fire scorched more than 129 square miles (334 square kilometers) of coastal Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, with 7% containment, according to a U.S. Forest Service update on Tuesday morning. More than 1,900 personnel are battling the blaze that grew out of at least four smaller fires that erupted Friday along State Route 166 between Santa Maria and Bakersfield. The causes of the fires are under investigation. The blaze is burning through steep terrain and creating a huge smoke column, said Capt. Scott Safechuck, a spokesperson with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. "A lot of it's in really inaccessible areas where even bulldozers can't even get into," Safechuck said, adding that aircraft is being added to the firefight. The smoke will affect parts of Southwest California, the National Weather Service's Los Angeles office said, noting that wildfire smoke is a health risk. Smoke was expected to move toward the south and east. The blaze threatened about 872 structures and forced the closure of the highway in both directions east of Santa Maria, a city of about 110,000 people in Santa Barbara County. About 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of Santa Barbara and 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles, the hilly agricultural region is dotted by sprawling California live oaks and Sycamore trees and is known for its strawberry fields and wine industry. Firefighters made great progress on the west, north and east flanks of the fire and significant efforts were made to ensure structure protection on the south end, officials said in an update Monday evening. Two new base camps were being established on the north and east sides of the fire, allowing more efficient access to the fire perimeter. Officials said they expected more helicopters to be able to deliver significant water drops Tuesday with a drone doing reconnaissance. A warming and drying trend was expected to continue from Wednesday through the weekend, with temperatures up to 90 to 100 degrees Thursday and Friday, with increasing fire behavior, officials said. A motorist was hospitalized with burn injuries after getting out of his vehicle and being overrun by flames, U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Flemming Bertelson said. Two contract employees assisting firefighters were also hurt when their all-terrain vehicle overturned. Ranchers evacuated cattle Monday as aircraft made water drops on the encroaching flames.
