After Spain and France: Wildfires Reach the Muslim Country
A wave of wildfires across Europe has now reached Turkey: large forest fires broke out in the southwest of the country, near Antalya. Authorities evacuated homes and a hospital, blocked a major highway, and deployed planes and helicopters for firefighting. No casualties or containment reported yet.
The wave of wildfires across Europe continues to spread, now reaching Turkey. Extensive forest fires broke out in the southwestern part of the country, in an agricultural area near Antalya and the Greek island of Rhodes. Turkish authorities ordered the evacuation of homes and a hospital, and blocked one of the main arteries, the Fethiye-Antalya highway. Firefighting efforts involve five planes and 12 helicopters, along with 35 water tankers, 8 initial response vehicles, 22 towed tanks, 14 tractors, 44 service vehicles, and two ambulances, totaling 373 firefighters and crew members. The fires come amid a challenging summer season in Turkey, accompanied by increasing heatwaves and drought – conditions that lead to forest fires every year in provinces along the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts. Authorities have not yet announced full containment of the fires or any casualties. Meanwhile, Spain and France continue to battle fires that have been ongoing for nearly a week. Spain's Prime Minister said the situation is developing positively and the intensity of the fire near Madrid has decreased, while in France the hardest-hit area is still not secured, and residents have been asked to wear masks due to toxic smoke.