Istanbul, July 17, (dpa/GNA) – Turkish fire crews have been grappling on Monday, to contain wildfires at least in three provinces, including Hatay in the south, which was hit by February’s devastating earthquakes.
A total of 19 separate wildfires broke across the country over the weekend with no deaths reported so far. Some locals were briefly hospitalized, state news agency Anadolu reported.
Like in southern Europe, Turkey has been struggling with a heatwave. Authorities have warned against the risk of forest fires.
In Hatay’s Belen district, planes and helicopters joined firefighting efforts for the second day. Two suspects were detained on suspicion of causing the Belen fire, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya wrote on Twitter.
Seven houses and four cars were damaged in the Hatay fire, according to Anadolu.
Hatay was one of the regions worst affected by earthquakes on February 6 which killed more than 50,000 people. Many people are still living in emergency shelters.
Some 360 kilometres to the west, in Mersin’s Gülnar district, five houses were destroyed in a wildfire while four villages were evacuated, Anadolu reported.
In the western province of Çanakkale, 14 people were hospitalized due to exposure to heavy smoke. Two of them were still receiving treatment, Anadolu wrote.
The report added that 13 helicopters, five planes and nearly 80 trucks worked to contain the fire.
GNA