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The Irish Sun

Chilling moment Turkey wildfire arson suspect fills bottles with PETROL as horror blazes kill 4 with ‘risky week' ahead

THIS is the chilling moment a man who allegedly sparked a devastating wildfire in Turkey was seen filling bottles with petrol at a gas station. CCTV footage caught the Advertisement 8 The man was seen getting out of a pickup truck at the gas station Credit: CNN Turkey 8 He was seen getting out of his vehicle and pouring what looks like water into potted flowers Credit: CNN Turkey 8 He then proceeds to the pump and fills the five-litre cans with gasoline before leaving the station Credit: CNN Turkey 8 The clip shows a man, now identified by authorities as Ufuk Aytekin, arriving at a gas station in his pickup truck. He is then seen getting out of his vehicle and pouring what looks like water into potted flowers. He then proceeds to the pump and fills the five-litre cans with gasoline before leaving the station. Bursa Provincial Police Department's Counter-Terrorism Branch later identified the suspect and arrested him on suspicion of starting a wildfire in the country that has been Advertisement read more on wildfires He is now being investigated as it is alleged he sparked a fire in the village of Kışmanlar. The suspect appeared to have burns on his arms and legs, and his phone was reportedly found burned in the woods by police. Aytekin, who has a history of numerous crimes and said he was kicked out of his home by his family , confessed to starting the fire in his initial statement, It comes as raging wildfires continue to rip through the country. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Firefighters battled blazes across Turkey on Monday as the country sweltered in a summer heatwave, with wildfires leading to at least 14 deaths in the country in the past week. Around 20 villages have been evacuated, officials said. More than 3,500 people were forced to leave their homes . Shock moment beachgoers surrounded by smoke as raging wildfires in Italian hols hotspot Temperatures had already soared to a record high of 50.5 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country. The heatwave has fueled the forest fires on the dry ground that have spread rapidly in windy conditions. Advertisement Authorities warned that a "risky week" lies ahead as temperatures continue to soar beyond record levels. Their efforts were hampered by strong winds fanning the flames, according to Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli. The flames have scorched 7,413 acres around the city so far, according to Bozbey. Advertisement At least 84 fires have been recorded nationwide over the past 24 hours, with major blazes still active in Bursa, Karabuk, Usak and Kahramanmaras. In Karabuk, New wildfires broke out on Turkey 's Mediterranean coast on Friday, as the government declared two western provinces in the country to be "disaster zones". East of Antalya, fires broke out in Adana and Mersin on Friday. Advertisement 8 A wide-angle view shows smoke and flames rise as firefighting efforts continue after a forest fire Credit: Getty 8 People look at burning trees during a wildfire in western Bursa province Credit: Reuters 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 centre and the outlying district of Aksu as the fire advanced, news agency DHA reported. Advertisement 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. Advertisement President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that the country faced "a truly great disaster" after 25,000 people got involved in the emergency effort. In a televised speech after a weekly cabinet meeting, he said 96 per cent of the fires were caused by human activity such as cigarette butts and picnic fires. There were also a few cases of sabotage, he said. 8 Flames rise from a forested area in the Gursu district Credit: GEtty Advertisement 8 Homes have been engulfed by flames